Until The Last Beat
by Parahdoks
Summary: Two and a half years have gone by, and Yuzuru Otonashi has finally found his passage into the next life, however it's nothing he would have ever suspected. Will Otonashi fulfill his desires and complete the contract? What happens if he completes it? Swear words and suggestive themes are in use in this fanfic!
1. Chapter 1: Shadow of a Lost Boy

**Author's Note:**

If by some reason you are not satisfied with my story, whether it be the plot, characters, grammar, lack of creativity, or what have you, please do not hesitate to review, send me a PM, comment, anything really. If you enjoyed it and found nothing wrong, I want to know what you thought about it. I'm not asking for too much ;) ! Good or bad, I would love to hear your comments! Thank you!

-_Parahdoks_

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**Prologue:**

Not even a memory. As if she never existed, the clumsy angel once loved by a man who wanted nothing more than to save her, and only felt sorrow for. All left was a shadow of a memory that may or may not have existed. Now a life without her meant an emptiness that left a void in his beating heart. He loved her, and she loved him. But the clumsy angel has since moved forward, and the man who loved her has stayed behind. Even though she has since moved on, he prays every night that someday, he would embrace the girl with the golden gaze and the platinum locks… The love of Yuzuru Otonashi's life, no… the love of Yuzuru Otonashi's very own soul…

The angel that he gave his life to… The very angel that owned his beating heart… Kanade Tachibana.

**Chapter 1: Shadow of a Lost Boy**

The school bells chimed mid-day. It was time for lunch. As usual, the orange-haired boy named Yuzuru walked alone in the halls, carrying himself one day at a time from class to class, eating the minimal to keep himself going in this life. A life he could not move from. Yuzuru wanted nothing less than to move on to his next life and to forget about the past life he had once before and the girl he gave his own heart to.

12:17 PM

Yuzuru looked down at his tray, lacking any hint of emotion. He moved down the line along with the seemingly cookie-cutter students; NPC's. All of them stood plain, and had no special meaning to them. He moved with them, joined classes with them, learned the same things as them, and occasionally one would speak to him. Yuzuru never had anything much to say to them though. He lived and carried himself in a monotonous fashion, holding his bearing no matter what situation he was brought into.

An older woman could be heard clearing her throat with a distinctive "ahem" near Yuzuru. He paid no attention to it, as usual, not paying much attention to anything around him. "Otonashi it is, right?" a raspy, female voice called out from in front of him past the dining runner. "What do ya want, kid?" Yuzuru looked up at the food and narrowed his choices not saying a single word. He pointed at a red stew with white-ish yellow looking, jelly textured objects boiling and stirring within it. "I expected that. You know, you should give the Mabo Tofu a rest, kid. It's no wonder you never talk. This stuff kills your mouth!" She looked at his emotionless face. "But I suppose if you want it… Heck, it's your funeral. Here ya go…" Yuzuru picked up the plate from his tray in a careful manner and placed it above the steel dining runner. The serving woman dipped the ladle and lifted it above his plate and poured a hot and steamy waterfall of Mabo Tofu onto his plate. All of the other students watched him.

"Otonashi, you're going to burn your mouth away one of these days! You barely talk as it is! You should listen to the lunch lady" called out a girl who stood near him in line.

The boy next to Yuzuru snaps back at the plain girl who last commented, "Let the man do what he wants, Ishida! He's obviously the most daring guy in our class! Let 'em go for it!"

Suddenly, Yuzuru slowly separates himself from the line and finds a table in the corner of the cafeteria where no one usually sat, especially at this lunch period. Yuzuru steadily walked towards the table he had his mind set on. The table in the bottom left corner of the cafeteria, probably the loneliest corner available in the entire school, devoid of sociality. Yuzuru passed many NPC students who only talked and seemed as if they were enjoying their time. Suddenly, without warning or any presence of known beings recognized by Yuzuru himself, his shoulder is accidentally met by another passerby. He loses grip of his tray as well as his lunch, but keeps his bearing. As if it seemed slow motion, Yuzuru is knocked backwards, and his left shoulder leading the way in the opposite of his momentum, twisting his motion forty-five degrees left. His tray finally meets the polished tile floor, and the force of the fall cracks the plate that held his lunch. The cafeteria grew slightly more quiet, all eyes on the two boys who met at their shoulders. But Yuzuru was not angry in the least. In fact, he showed absolutely zero emotion for the lunch he never got to enjoy (if he ever could enjoy it).

"Hey, sorry, man. I guess I didn't see ya walking. Let me get you another plate, would that help?" the boy said sympathetically, feeling sorry for accidentally knocking Yuzuru's lunch to the ground. He gave a careful, fake smile, hoping Yuzuru would not be angry for the accident. The boy hunched his back and rubbed his hand on the side of his neck to gesture his innocence.

Yuzuru looked at him and spoke in a soft, kind-hearted voice, "It is okay. You mustn't worry about it. I honestly wasn't very hungry"

The boy stood up straight and locked his hands to his sides, meeting eyes with Yuzuru. "Hey, are ya sure, man? I mean, it's not really a big deal with me. We all also know how much you like Mabo Tofu!" The normal chatter of the people in the cafeteria began picking up with the random conversations as they were before the accident. "Hey, let me at least do the favor of cleaning it up for ya, alright? I can't just leave ya like this!"

Yuzuru took in a shallow breath and spoke in again, a soft, monotonous voice, "Very well. If it means that much, then I will not hold you from owning up to it. I thank you for having the humility and understanding of the accident as well as the willingness to make ends meet" He slowly turns and walks in the opposite direction empty-handed.

The boy who bumped into him proceeds to cleaning up the mess he had accidentally created. He speaks below his breath, hoping Yuzuru would not hear him, "Hmm… That kid is sure one interesting fellow. I wonder why he likes Mabo Tofu so much, since he orders it every day" As the kid picks up the tray with the food, which seeped through the bottom of the plate, revealed the full chunks of tofu. He picked up a piece of tofu and studied it. "Hmm… It looks good, and it smells pretty nice, too!" He tosses it into his mouth. Suddenly, his face begins glowing bright pink and his mouth steams with the intensity of a freight train at full speed. He suddenly drops the tray, putting it back in the same spot it was once before, splashing the stew outward even more than it was. He danced around fanning his mouth "OW HOT! IT'S SO HOT! HOW CAN YOU EAT THIS STUFF?!"

20:45 - In his dormitory...

Yuzuru unbuttoned his mabo tofu-stained navy blue uniform top, folds it, and then places it inside of a dirty clothes hamper. He then unlaces his shoes, slips them off, and then places them neatly at the edge of his twin-sized bed. He sighs and walks over to the light switch next to the door of his dormitory and switches it off. With only the minimal light from the moon guiding him, he slips into the covers of his comfortable bed. He blinked a couple of times, then began to come to some form of realization.

Two whole years had passed since everyone he came to knew and love passed on. He wished to do so as well, however realized what he had to do to gain passage into the next life. There was nothing more for him to fulfill other than to be with the one he could only wish to be with, however she was gone, and so was everyone else. As far as he was concerned now, Kanade, Yuri, Yui, Hinata, Naoi, and everyone else practically didn't exist, and everything in his head, may as well have been a figment of his dreams.

He closed his eyes and began to doze off.


	2. Chapter 2: Acceptance and Divine Will

**Author's Note**

I have completely overhauled this story. I read, re-read, and then re-read some more. The old stories I put up were not so great, and I was slightly disappointed in my work. As I have said, I am not the best writer ever, but I can only allow you all to be the judge on whether I am at least decent. I am pretty confident in my writing, but I suppose this story will be a test for me. I got rid of all the other chapters that succeeded past this one because they needed some overhauling. I hope you enjoy it.

Critique, comment, PM, or anything please. I need advice on what I should do to improve, suggestions, criticism, anything. Thank you!

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A bright light shone through Yuzuru's eyelids, like a crowbar, beckoning them open to greet the sunrise. Yuzuru attempted to make a grab for his pillow, but it was nowhere to be found, and neither were his covers. So tired, he instead ignored the fact that both articles of his bed set were missing, and just dug his face into his arms as he lay on a comfortable surface.

"Hey, sleepy-head, are you going to wake up anytime soon there?" A familiar, female voice called in a half-sarcastic attitude. Yuzuru paid no attention to the voice at all in his state of slumber. The girl gave a distinctive huff. "Hello, Earth to Otonashi! Do you read?"

As if a sudden realization had come into Yuzuru's senses, his eyes bolt open and he immediately raises his head and looked down at what he thought was his bed, which had apparently turned into a floor of golden clouds. He looks around and notices for miles on end, that is what the floor he laid on was really made of, and that he was most definitely not in his comfortable bed anymore. Yuzuru was puzzled, but figured it was only a dream. He stands on his two feet and notices that the air was perfect. The temperature was as if it weren't even a thought. He noticed for sure that he was most definitely not in any place he'd ever seen in his entire life, which definitely was not his dormitory. Golden clouds for as long as his eyes could see. Sunlight lined all of the clouds he could see in the sky, despite what cardinal direction the clouds happened to be located, as if there were multiple light sources, but there were also no bright orbs in the sky. Rays of light penetrated through gaps in the clouds.

_I don't think I'm in that school anymore…_ Yuzuru thought to himself. _This is definitely a dream._

The familiar, female voice calls out to him once more from behind him, "Otonashi, right here!"

Yuzuru's eyes widened and the short hairs on the back of his neck seemed to stand. He turns around and his face is greeted by a smile literally two inches from a pair of emerald-colored eyes. Yuzuru is startled and jumps back about two feet.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?!" Yuzuru exclaims without even getting a good examination on who this girl was. He quickly comes to his senses and notices the white top, blue skirt, thigh high black socks, her purple hair with the green bow, as well as her green eyes. He gasps and backs up two steps. "No way… It can't be…" he murmurs to himself in disbelief. "Yuri..."

The girl winks, balls her left fist and points her thumb at her head. "In the flesh!" she happily replies, as if she were answering a question of whether she was really there or not. Yuzuru looked closely at the details of her clothing. Everything was the same, including the Afterlife Battle Front patch on her arm, except one thing he noticed was slightly different. He looked closely and realized a word had been switched out, and had read on the patch, 'rebels against the evil'.

Yuzuru could only give a fake smile and scratch the back of his head, trying not to rejoice too much. Nothing seemed right. This was without a doubt his old friend Yuri, but only a former incarnation of her. It was impossible. Yuri had already passed on. This was only a dream, or so Yuzuru brought himself to believe as much.

"Hi, Yuri," he played along, "It's been a while! I've missed you"

"You don't seem so enthusiastic," Yuri replied in a confused manner. She blinked once and cocked her head to the right slightly. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course," Yuzuru answered her with some motivation.

Yuri put her hands on her hips and looked down to her side, "Well, you know, I figured two extra years in that afterlife high school kind of seemed as if it would be a little lonely, you know. I'd expect a little bit more enthusiasm with you seeing an old friend"

"I mean, I guess, but…" Yuzuru's mood began to make a one-eighty. Despite his efforts in trying not to enjoy the dream to save him the future hurt, the fact that he had seen his old friend had only worsened his feelings for not being able to pass on with the rest of the others. It poked at him these past few years. He missed everyone, but how could he expect them to miss him in return, if they no longer resided in the same lives he knew they lived?

"You're a figment of my subconscious," Yuzuru began, breaking eye-contact with Yuri. "I miss you, no, I miss all of you. I miss all the adventures we partook in the past, all of the encounters we had. Everything was a privilege to be a part of all of these operations with you and everyone else…" Yuzuru balled his fists and closed his eyes. His eyebrows began to scrunch together also in a gesture of anger; in anger that he knew that this was only a dream.

Yuri frowned slightly and brought one of her hands to her own chin. She gave a sympathetic look and stepped closer to Yuzuru. She stopped about a foot in front of him and attempted to make eye-contact. He looked away, keeping his fists clenched. His eyes are half-opened, looking down to his side.

"Look at me, Otonashi," she pleaded him, "please… I need you to understand that this is not a dream"

Yuzuru's nerves were loosened ever so slightly, but he never gave into the word of a subconscious model with a statement he could only wish was true.

"Why should I?" he mocked. Yuri's fury began to bubble within her very core. Yuzuru still managed not to make eye-contact still after she had pleaded. Yuri grits her teeth and glares at him. And in one sudden motion, for whatever reason causing her to resort to such actions, Yuri quickly brings her left hand back and swings it forward right, catching most of Yuzuru's right cheek with a loud clap, with such a force, his body twists a whole 45 degrees left and he falls to his knees.

Yuzuru lets out a slight yell, unexpected of such punishment, which actually turned out to be fairly painful to him. He brings his right hand, which shook slightly, to his face, surprised at the pain he had felt.

"You felt that, didn't you?" Yuri asked with a hint of sorrow. She recovers both hands to her sides and looks directly down at Yuzuru. "This isn't a dream, Otonashi," she says softly. "Everything you feel is real. The pain, the stinging sensation on your face, the warmness of the blood rushing to your cheek…"

Yuzuru looked up at her and stood, keeping his right hand on his cheek, still shaken up slightly.

"You…" he began softly, "You struck me… And it actually hurt…" Despite the stress of getting slapped harder than he had ever been in his time in that life, part of him began to realize that this was probably anything but a dream. But if it wasn't a dream, what was it?

"You're in Heaven, Otonashi," Yuri answered, expecting that it would be the answer to a question he would probably have asked next.

Yuzuru looked at Yuri, hand still on his cheek. He looked directly into her emerald-green eyes, which stared into his. He felt the sadness she felt for him. He felt the emotion she did. This couldn't be true… With the same hand he had on his cheek, he took it off of his face and slowly extended it to her shoulder very hesitantly. He placed it on where her Afterlife Battle Front patch was, feeling the fine details of the stitching and wording. He then took his other hand and placed it on her other shoulder. With a sudden shot of happiness and emotion, he pulls her towards him and embraces her, wrapping both his arms around her body. Her chin rests on his shoulder. She was taken by surprise by the sudden gesture. She returns the favor by hugging him back, then smiles. Yuzuru sheds one tear, and everything he thought about this whole place being some dream was debunked. He closed his eyes and wiped his tear, and then inhaled through his nose to clear himself.

"Hey, are you actually crying?" Yuri asked in a joking manner.

Yuzuru laughed and released her from his embrace. "No," he answered smiling, "Are you nuts?"

Yuri also laughed and backed up a few steps. "You're a terrible liar, you know," she laughed.

_/\_/\_Angel Beats!_/\/^-/

_/\_/\_Angel Beats!_/\/^-/

Yuzuru and Yuri both sat next to each other, watching the golden clouds in the sky move by slowly.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" Yuri asked Yuzuru, who couldn't help but to still feel slightly skeptical about everything that's happened so far.

"So this is heaven, eh?" Yuzuru questioned, "It's beautiful. I'm glad I'm here"

Both of them paused for a moment. Yuri looked to her right at Yuzuru. He felt her looking at him, but kept his attention towards the golden sky.

"There's a reason we're here," Yuri stated, initiating a possible proposal (not a marriage proposal, mind you).

Yuzuru kept his attention up at the clouds, but was listening to what she had said, "Why am I here?"

Yuri turned her sights back up to the clouds once more, continuing her explanation, "I need to you do me a favor first"

Yuzuru spoke in a calm manner, still keeping his head attuned to the sky, "Sure, anything"

Yuri looked at Yuzuru and began, "I need you to promise that you won't freak out or anything"

Yuzuru looked at Yuri and paused. His face grew slightly more serious and could feel the slight coldness in emotion in-between both of them. He knew he had to say yes, but he was afraid somehow it would be something he dreaded. He knew a strange explanation would follow as soon as he agreed to her promise.

"Okay," he answered in half-confidence.

"So, you promise?" Yuri asked in hopes of an answer that was slightly more partial than just the word 'okay'.

Yuzuru sighed and braced himself a little bit, "Yes, I promise". He looked at her and nudged her with his elbow playfully, "Now spit it out!"

Yuri looked at him and smiled, "Okay... Try not to think this too much. What I am fixing to tell you is pretty straight forward" Yuri looked at him directly in his eyes and immediately dropped her smile into a more serious expression, "I'm hoping you make the right decision. The right decision being the one your heart tells you to make. Do you understand?"

Yuri stared at him, waiting for an answer. Yuzuru realized the seriousness of this conversation.

"Yes," he answered without regret.

"Good," she responded with a slight nod. She looked down at her legs and closed her eyes. Yuzuru looked at her and realized how nervous she seemed to even mention whatever she was about to say. "The reason I am here is because of you"

Yuzuru blinked once and kept his eyes on her, not changing his expression.

"Otonashi," she uttered his name in complete sincerity, "At any point in your time alive, have you heard of the expression known as 'God's will'?"

"Of course," he nodded.

"I have accepted it, and I'm here to tell you that it's an opportunity we can't pass" Yuri looked over at Yuzuru. She paused for a moment to put everything into perspective for him, "We have been asked to carry out a Divine Will, a request by God to be carried out to assist the living world. If we succeed, we are given a choice of how we want to spend the rest of eternity, granted we follow the guidelines. The task isn't easy, in fact, it's extremely dangerous"

Yuzuru began to stand up and placed both his hands to his side. "Anything," he answered with confidence, "I don't care what the task is. I want to take it" Yuzuru sighed once more and continued onto a slight rant, "I'm tired of not knowing my fate. I'm tired of fearing the unknown, running from it, and not being able to choose my own future. This is my opportunity to choose how I want to live... I can't let this one go... This may be my chance to see her again"

Yuri understood exactly what (or who) Yuzuru wanted. "So," she stood also and crossed her arms, "On Earth, there are two different intertwining worlds. You have the mortal world and the spirit world. The mortal world, of course, is the world you and I once lived. It's a place where death is possible. The spirit world is like a blanket that covers the mortal world. Death cannot occur here, just like in the Afterlife School. Humans can't see the spirits, but they can sometimes sense their presence"

Yuzuru snapped his fingers and began putting two puzzles in his head together, "I knew ghosts were real!"

"Yes, well," she continued, "In the spirit world, you have souls of the dead that aren't able to pass on. There are three reasons why they don't. One, they are too attached to this world and refuse to pass on. If a man dies and he misses someone near and dear, sometimes he would wait for that one person to pass through before he does. Or maybe a soul might just be attached to something physical in the world, such as a house"

Yuzuru looks at her and gives a slightly confused look, "But don't animals and even bugs have souls? What happens to them. It sounds as if there are only human spirits out there"

Yuri smiles and begins replying, "Since most animals and insects don't really have to deal with the same things as humans in terms of emotion, life crisis, and such, they would usually just pass over without problem"

"So what are the other two reasons someone might stay?" Yuzuru asked.

"The second reason," she started once more, "There is that rare occasion that a soul might have been lost and could not find passage on its own. It would get stuck in the spirit world"

"But what about us?" Yuzuru interrupted Yuri. "We ended up in the Afterlife School. We were overburdened with the weights of life..."

"You have lots of questions," Yuri retorted. "We each had regrets and wishes we wanted to refill. All of us had seemingly miserable lives, so we were sent there for some rehabilitation. That's what I figure"

"All of this is so confusing," Yuzuru said crossing his arms.

"Yeah... I don't fully understand it myself, but continuing on," She added with some slight tiredness of being interrupted with questions, "The third reason a soul would stay on Earth would be because it is weighed down with so much evil," Yuri's eyes began to glare slightly. Yuzuru is slightly disturbed at the idea. Yuri continues on, "These evil spirits would take form of someone's fears and can torment the living. They're not kind in any way. Worst of all, they can convince a soul in the spirit world that is desperate for passage to become evil. The evil would tell a lost soul that for it to pass on, it must fulfill anything the evil spirit tells it. And so they would comply"

"So, the stories we hear are actually true," Yuzuru said with a hint of fear.

"Yes"

A cold chill went down Yuzuru's back from the explanation.

"So," she continued on. "We have been tasked with eliminating these souls. By any means necessary"

"But," Yuzuru began questioning, "They're ghosts! How can we make them go away?"

"By fighting them," she smiled. "The spirit world isn't much different than the Afterlife School. We can't die, but we can still feel pain and stuff. But like us, when they get shot, stabbed, or anything in a spot that would kill a person, they are incapacitated. We hold them prisoner"

"But what happens if they do the same to us," Yuzuru added.

"Then we're out of luck," she said smiling.

"That... Explains it," Yuzuru's face turned dark in a humorous acceptance of truth. "But what about the others?" he questioned with sincerity.

Yuri smiled, as if she waited for this long to tell Yuzuru this one thing, "They're doing fine in the spirit world. We've had a couple of people get caught and rescued, but that's it. We've taken many evil spirits as prisoner"

"But," Yuzuru had one question ringing in his head, "How do you get rid of them? How do they pass on?"

Yuri frowned. She looked up at him and spoke suddenly in a morbid tone, "The same way we do. Doing absolutely nothing over a long period of time will make us bored and without purpose. We become tired of living in the spirit world, then we pass"

Yuzuru is astonished, "Wait, so you're telling me we induce a death brought about by boredom? That seems pretty depressing"

"I mean, if that's the way you want to put it," she replied, "But it's the only way"

Both of them paused. Yuzuru has had his mind made up since she first told him his options in this contract, "Where do you need me?"

Yuri looked up at him and smiled, "I think I can find a spot for ya, Otonashi!" and she winked. She extended her right hand in front of her and Yuzuru. He looked down at it and smiled back. He also extended his arm, grabbed her hand. He blinked and suddenly, everything changed.


	3. Chapter 3: The Operation

**Chapter 3: The Operation**

Losing the feeling of the girl's soft hands, and suddenly having hold of a cold, metal sphere, Yuzuru is slightly startled and quickly opens his eyes. Without any of delay of time it seems, within the span of a blink, he is face to face with a large, metal door.

Yuzuru lets go of the doorknob and steps back nervously. He looks around and notices there is a sunset past the skyline of a fairly large city in the distance. He spins around, in awe of how the situation progressed from a slightly meaningful reunion/contract in what looked like heaven, to him suddenly appearing in front of a large building on Earth.

He takes four steps back to get a good look of the building. He notices a banner to the side with the Afterlife Battle Front logo on it, and the words written below: "rebels against the evil". Without much more hesitation, Yuzuru quickly jumps to the door and grabs firm hold of the door knob. He pulls the door open quickly and freezes. He notices the inside is pitched black. He nervously swallows once and takes a deep breath.

"Hello?" He yells inside, "Is anybody in here?" He takes a step inside of the building very hesitantly. "Yuri? Are you here? Anybody?"

No one replies. Yuzuru becomes slightly fearful. As he steps inside even more, the darkness of the foyer swallows him. His eyes adjust to the darkness after a few moments. He notices a small illumination inside of a hallway. He boldly starts carefully to the dim light. With some hope of defense, he places his fists in front of his face on the chance he might be ganged by someone. Yuzuru is lead into a hallway with four different rooms, and one room having its door open with a bright, blue light coming from it. He slowly goes towards the blue lighted room. He puts his back towards the wall and inhales nervously. A drop of sweat forms on his left temple. He bends his body right and twists his head to look into the room to see what could possibly be in there. Through the crack in the door, he saw nothing but a large flat screen monitor in the front wall of the room with a blue background desktop.

Yuzuru realizes no one is inside, but this was for a fact his friends' headquarters. This was the domain for Class SSS.

With care, Yuzuru slowly pushes the door open a little more and puts one foot in the room. He pauses to see if anything would happen. Nothing goes off. There were no traps or any ambushes. He gains some confidence and steps inside completely. He finally passes the door completely, engulfed by the blue light. Then suddenly, blackness.

Moments Pass

Suddenly, a crack of light shines through the small slit in Yuzuru's barely-opened eyes. Yuzuru is suddenly startled and sits up quickly. _Why did I feel that sudden pain? That hurt so much! My neck…_ Yuzuru thought to himself. He put his left hand onto his neck, rubbing it lightly where he felt a sharp, searing pain for a few seconds. It had been apparent that he had passed out.

He looks around and notices three different people standing in front of the large screen. He only sees a black silhouette of all three individuals. One of them is speaking in a low volume, but is fairly familiar. He sits up. The room is still dark with that large blue screen.

"But we have Otonashi," a female voice, a familiar one at that, answers to the other two. "He is the key to bringing back the most important key to our faction. Without her, we're hopeless against the evil"

Yuzuru ponders to himself. Who were they talking about? What was going on? Why did he pass out?

"Without her, we have no Guard Skills," a stern, male voice sounded out semi-obnoxiously. "She's the only one who has them"

"She was supposed to teach them to us, Noda"

_Noda! It's him! The jerk off that hit me one-hundred times when I first met him!_ Yuzuru thought to himself. Yuzuru focuses on the shapes of the people in front of him. He sees to the left, a person holding a halberd, sort of long, spiked hair. The middle person had long pigtails and wore a skirt. The person to the right looked like she had long pigtails as well, but they looked as if they started from her neck and went all the way down too her knees. It actually looked as if it were a scarf rather than pigtails.

"It's been two weeks…" a calm, female voice points out. "We need to figure out something fast. I can already see them losing hope… We can't let that happen. The guard skills can wait until later"

Yuzuru began to open his mouth to interrupt everyone. Before he could make a single sound, a low-toned, female voice acknowledges him, "Yuzuru, good to see you're awake now" The dark, right figure turns around. Yuzuru can't see her face from the darkness of the room and the bright, blue screen that was behind her. The other two people glance back and notice he was awake, sitting up. Yuzuru hunches his back to get a good look at all three.

"Uh, hi," Yuzuru says with uncertainty.

The girl in the middle picks up a remote control sitting on a table in front of them and presses a button. The lights suddenly turn on within the room they were in. Everything was finally clear to him (in vision anyways). He sees all three individuals clearly, recognizing every single one. To the left was Noda, a male with purple hair, purple eyes and carrying a halberd with a sharp axe-blade at the end of it. He had a sharp glare, but even so, this was his version of 'calm'.

The girl in the middle was Yusa. Yusa was a girl with bright, pigtailed hair. She had an earpiece on the right side of her head.

The girl to the right was Shiina. Shiina had long-blue hair and striking, light-red eyes. She wore a scarf that covered most of her mouth and it went down in two directions, both ends meeting the back of her knees. She stared at Yuzuru intently, and then looked down at the ground, as did everyone else except Yuzuru.

"Sorry, Otonashi," Shiina apologized, "We didn't know it was actually you. We had to make sure…"

"I understand," Yuzuru said, "But it wouldn't kill you to at least acknowledge that someone is here before you just begin randomly knocking me out?

Shiina leered at him. Yuzuru's spine tingles slightly. "Umm… Good to see you guys, too, I guess…" he says sarcastically, targeting Shiina's angry gaze.

Shiina turns back around, facing the large monitor. "We can't take chances anymore. All bets are off. We're taking our stand against the evil"

"The evil?" Yuzuru asks confused.

"Yes," replies Shiina.

"The evil," Yusa begins without much of any emotion in her voice, "is a classification for spirits that reside on the Earth. They're dangerous and frightening. They strike without notice and without mercy, no matter how weak someone might be. They haunt the living and they torture the dead. They have no feelings. This is why we are here. We are here to eradicate them"

"But what about Yuri?" Yuzuru asks. "I just saw her before I got here. She took my hand and all of a sudden, I appear here"

"That was an illusion, Otonashi," Noda replies.

"An illusion?"

"Yes, it was created to give you the contract. It wasn't the real her"

"But," Yuzuru began to feel slightly disappointed, "She…"

"We know," Yusa interrupted, "Angel created her while she was in transient from there to here. Since she knew you and Yuri were slightly close, she picked her as a model to use to give you the contract.

"Took you long enough," Shiina smirked, "it's been two and a half years since we last met"

"It really has been that long, hasn't it?" Yuzuru's memory bank began flashing back to old memories that now seemed pretty bleak, considering how long ago they occurred.

Shiina shut down the computer and the screen in the front of the room went black.

"Otonashi, I'm sure you heard everything about the others being captured, right?" Yusa asks Yuzuru.

"Yea, a little bit," Yuzuru nods.

"So you also know it's been two weeks since we failed our last mission and lost most of our guys," Yusa looks down in disappointment.

"I guess that could be true… I can't really see you guys failing though. Do you guys have a plan?

"Of course we have a plan," Yusa grinned. She walks up closer to the desk and put her hand on the remote and presses a button. The lights shut off once again and a program opens on the large screen in front of the room. She clicked a few places and a program opens up: 'Operation Manager'. Yusa picks up a floppy, white beret with a pink ribbon on it. She puts it on her head with both hands

Yusa turns around and puts her hands on her hips, facing Yuzuru and the other two. "Welcome to the briefing of Operation: Firefight!"

"Operation Firefight?" Noda questions Yusa.

"We need to be quick," Yusa begins. "It needs to go down without a single snag. We'll need the following items… Guns, Takeyama's laptop computer, a small thumb drive with the Angel Player software, and more guns"

"Oh yeah," Shiina interrupted. "Why couldn't Angel just use her Guard Skills to get out already?"

"Because," Yusa began. "Her Angel Player file was destroyed before the evil even invaded our space. When she tried using her Guard Skill, she was hit in the back of her head and was knocked out"

Yuzuru felt a slight feeling of horror as he heard such travesty, especially involving the one he once loved. "I'll help!" Yuzuru said with obligation.

"Good," Yusa grinned, "Because we would have force your regardless"

Yuzuru got off the couch and stood up, putting his hands to his sides.

"What should I do?" Yuzuru says, requesting a position.

"We don't have set positions. We all have one common goal, to give Angel her Guard Skills back"

"And how do you suppose we do that?

Yusa picked up a thumb drive with the label 'A.P.' on it. "This is a thumb drive with the Angel Player software. We do have the program that could save us all. But none of us have any idea how to use it. So, we have to break into the house they are trapped in, find Takeyama, and have him input a few things to give Angel her powers. He knows how to use it"

"That's brilliant," Yuzuru stated in amazement. "I do have one question though… "What is this evil like?"

Yusa, Noda, and Shiina all looked down and gave a slight grunt. They all became slightly nervous and refused to answer the question. Yuzuru began to feel slightly overwhelmed, but nothing would stop him from seeing 'her'. Yuzuru would walk through hell and back just to hold her again. He picked up his head and stared at their down-staring faces and stomped his left foot once.

"I need a weapon," he demanded. Everyone perked their heads up and stared at him. Noda smiled. He walked behind the desk and pulled open a drawer. He picked up a medium sized lock-box from inside and held it up so Yuzuru could see.

"This is yours," Noda grinned. "Yurippe has been waiting a while to give this to you when you finally accepted the contract. We never knew for sure whether you'd decide to accept the contract or not, but she had faith that you would, and so she kept this for you."

Noda underhandedly tossed the box to Yuzuru. After catching it, Yuzuru unlatches the lock and dips his hand inside and grabs hold of the metallic, black object. It was a gun, a Glock 17 to be exact. Yuzuru dropped the lock box and held the weapon in amazement.

"This is the same gun," he said stunned. "The same gun Yuri gave to me when I first joined the SSS…" Yuzuru looked closely at it and noticed it had an engraving on both sides of the gun's handle. It read, 'rebels against the evil' on the left side.

Yuzuru stared at the weapon for a good few minutes. Yusa tossed up three black, rectangular objects towards him. Yuzuru looked up and noticed the magazines and made a grab for them all. He cradled his arms and caught all three of them. He grabs them and puts two of them into his left pocket, loads one into his gun, pulls the slide back and lets it rack forward.

With determination in his eyes and love burning in his heart, Yuzuru would give this life just to see his beloved angel. This was the reason he accepted this contract. He would not fail.

Yusa padded the beret she wore, which was Yuri's, grinned, then spoke softly, "Operation Firefight, start!"


	4. Chapter 4: Ignite

_Author's Note:__ I decided that I would try something a bit different in terms of writing style. Instead of a standard novel-style type of story, I decided I would try writing this chapter in a screenplay. I wanted to try giving myself a chance to write in a style I haven't touched since I was in middle school. I hope you enjoy it! I would love reviews! Thank you!_

_-Parahdoks_

* * *

Chapter 4: Ignite

12:00 PM – The last house on Cherry St.

All four individuals walked the middle of the road through Cherry Street towards the last house. Yusa wore her blue backpack with Takeyama's laptop computer, Noda carrying his long halberd axe, Shiina with a determined gaze (and knives hidden all over her clothing), and Yuzuru with his Glock 17 and Yuri's M92 Beretta in his belt. No one was outside. Everything seemed dead. The air was quiet, the sun was mid-sky, and the determination was emitting from the small group. Yuzuru, Noda, Shiina, and Yusa… All had the single common goal of giving Angel her powers back to ultimately save the rest of their friends. However the evil was indeed not going to be a pushover. Nothing will come easy for the small group, but they will succeed even if it kills them over and over again...

The house was large; three stories (including what looked like an attic). It was built behind a neatly fenced-in yard with a large, rose garden, which had a paved, red, brick pathway leading to the front door. The porch walls were covered with vines, surrounding the front door. The house itself was white with a dark brown roof.

The group arrived at the black fence, which contained the beautiful garden within. Noda placed a hand on the iron railings of the fence and sneered. Yuzuru backed up a step, becoming more nervous as he gets closer to the house. He kept his cool and had a glare pointing at different parts of the house every second.

Yusa: (Keeping eyes forward at the house, directing her voice to Otonashi) **"Scared?"**

Otonashi: (Determined look in his eyes) **"If I said no, I'd be lying"**

_[Thinking to himself: __**"But I'll be damned if this 'evil' stops me from seeing her**__"]_

Noda: (Twirling his Axe-Halberd with one hand, speaking in a cocky tone) **"We got this in the bag. These bastards won't even know what hit 'em!"**

Yusa: (Monotonous) **"So, you all know the plan, correct?"**

Shiina**:**** "It's pretty much do or die. If we lose here, it's all over. It's pretty stupid of us to even consider visiting such a place with just four people"**

Yusa: **"You are correct, however what else would it matter if we were forced to fight with only us four if we didn't decide to attempt a rescue mission?"**

Noda: **"Blondie is right. If we just abandon Yurippe, Angel, and the others, we'd be invaded and overtaken later on anyways. We might as well go on a suicidal mission that almost guarantees certain failure"**

Otonashi: (Sarcastic) **"Yeah, nice speech, dumbass. Way to be motivating"**

Noda: (Angry, raising halberd up to Otonashi's neck) **"What was that, punk? Are you asking me to kill you now? Because I'll drop your sorry-"**

Shiina: (Interrupting Noda/Scolding, loud tone)** "Both of you! Shut it! Noda, put down the weapon! This is no time to screw around! You both can fight afterwards, but we have more important things to tend to! Got it?"**

Noda sneers and lowers his weapon from Otonashi's neck after a few moments. They continue walking until reaching the front gates of the large house.

Otonashi: (Cold chill running down his spine; nervous) **"This place gives me the creeps… Why are we approaching from the front of the house? Won't they see us?"**

Yusa: **"Why not? It's noon"**

Otonashi: (Confused) **"What does the time being noon have to do with-"**

Shiina: (Interrupts) **"The evil is nocturnal. It's pretty cliché, to be honest. They usually only have one or two people awake to stand guard during the daytime. This is why we're going through the front"**

Otonashi: (Surprised and in shock) **"Wait, whaaat?! You want us to enter the front door?! Whaaat?!**

Yusa: **"It would be obvious for us to go through the front door"**

Otonashi: (Sarcastic attitude; yelling) **"Umm… Wouldn't that be a bad thing, considering that's where you want to enter this place from?!"**

Yusa: (Monotonous) **"I would like it if you allowed me to finish…" **(Pauses)** "Since it would be so obvious, no one would really expect their enemy to enter from the most plain entrance, so why not? I'm fairly sure that none of them would want to be near the sun anyways, and considering it sets behind us, we wouldn't have a problem staying on this side of the house"** (Grabs out a small drawing of the house layout from her pocket, unfolds it, then shows it to the group, pointing to the areas of interest as she explains the plan) **"All we have to do is enter from the front door, quietly. We go past the dining room, then up the stairs. After that, we search for the elevator located on the second floor. That elevator should lead all the way up to the holding room, where our friends are located"**

Otonashi: _[Thinking to himself] "Oh man, I really hope this works…"_

Otonashi is overwhelmed and becomes extremely worried. He puts a hand on his forehead, bracing himself for anything that could happen. A drop of sweat forms on his left temple. He closes his eyes and flashes back to a similar situation where he feared his entering of an unknown place… The Guild.

Shiina notices him taking on the stress in his mind. She places her left hand softly onto his right shoulder. Otonashi opens his eyes and looks at her. Shiina smiles at him. He couldn't help but to gain some sort of hope from it. Even though he had no feelings of affection towards her, Otonashi still loved her smile, and his confidence fed off of it. He smiled back.

Shiina: (Motivationally; Quiet) **"We will succeed. Don't worry, Otonashi"**

Otonashi nods and looks forward, bracing himself for the certain pain and destruction.

Otonashi: (Calm) **"So what, are we just going to walk in casually?"**

Yusa: **"That is what I intend. Everyone in the house, aside from a few should be asleep. Silence is of the utmost importance"**

Otonashi stares at the house for a moment, scanning each window for any movements or figures. It's just a house though. It seemed like nothing was out of the ordinary. No evil thorns coming from the ground around the house, no demonic fire, or anything resembling 'evil'. It was a beautiful home. Yuzuru felt a slight sense of ease. He took a deep breath and calmly let it out through his nose.

Noda: (Jumps over the small yard fence and onto the brick path)** "Well, now's as good a time as ever. Let's do this"**

Yusa nods and also jumps the small, black, iron fence. A flap on her blue backpack gets caught on the sharp ironwork and rips it slightly.

Yusa: (Calm and emotionless) **"Oh, that's not good"**

Noda bent over quickly and caught the small hard drive marked with _'AP'_ before it fell to the ground from the decent-sized hole in Yusa's backpack. He handed it over to Yusa. She crossed her arms over it and held it close to her chest.

Noda: **"The hole isn't large. The computer should be safe in there. Just hold onto that thing"** (Points at the external hard drive Yusa held closely)

Otonashi and Shiina both hop the fence as well. They all nod at each other and walk along the short, brick path. The roses caressed their wrists and arms as they walked. The sweet smell of the red roses filled their nostrils. No one other than Otonashi was fascinated by the heavenly scent. His nerves eased down and his emotions were kept calm. He still wanted to see _'her'_ though over everything else.

Finally they arrived at the large, white-painted front door. The glass was mosaic, so there was no way to stare into the house through the outside. Yusa grabbed the doorknob and twisted it.

Noda: (Quiet) **"Well, look at that… These morons left their door unlocked"**

Shiina: (Quiet) **"Well, when the competition has been practically wiped out, what reason would you have for locking the door again… We're the only four left"**

Yusa pulled the door slowly, and to their surprise, no creaks or rusted hinges as she opened it. Otonashi raised his handgun and Noda gripped his halberd. Nothing popped out, nothing startled them. They all stepped into the foyer, welcomed by a large, silver chandelier over their heads. Ahead of them was the large set of stairs, leading up to the second floor. Yusa walked forward. The other three looked around, expecting to be ambushed by the enemy, but nothing happened. To the left was a large, white room with nothing in it. To the right was a kitchen-looking area that was missing all of the utilities like a dishwasher, stove, and refrigerator. All four continued on towards the stairs.

Male Voice: (Omniscient, random, calm, and mocking) **"I see we have a few visitors in our home. Here to visit your friends, hmm?**"

All four of them stood their ground. Yusa stayed the way she was, keeping a straight face. The other three suddenly changed their expressions to an angrier stance. Otonashi had his pistol out, ready to fire, pointed at the ground. They looked around to try finding the voice.

Male Voice: (Chuckling) **"Up here"**

They turned around and looked up at the chandelier and noticed a man standing on a rim of the chandelier, holding onto the chain that connected it to the ceiling. He let go and dropped to the ground, landing on both his feet with not even so much as a grunt. He crossed his arms and grinned. The man was about Noda's size, had on a black suit, had short, brown hair, a beard and mustache that connected to his sideburns, and an evil gaze that sent chills down their own backs.

Glaive: **"I believe you are intruding into our humble sanctum. I won't be so rude as to kick you out though. After all, you are our guests. You may call me Glai-"**

Noda: (Interrupts) **"Quiet, you! We know who you are! You're one of those Sinister Goons! You're Glaive Sinister!"**

Glaive: (Grins and chuckles) **"Well, well… Someone is a little rude. You think I'm scared of that little stick?"**

****Otonashi: **"So much for making a quiet entrance!"**

Shiina, Noda, and Otonashi all stood firm, spreading their feet and holding a battle stance. Yusa continued up the stairs without a single care. Noda could hear her footsteps travelling upward in a normal pace.

Noda: (Keeping faced towards Glaive, but directs voice to Shiina and Otonashi) **"You two follow Yusa. I'll deal with this guy"**

Noda gives an evil-looking smile and grunts. His eyes widen as his smile becomes more evil. Glaive keeps his arms crossed, watching as Noda is becoming more pumped. Otonashi and Shiina both nod and continue up the flight of stairs, catching up to Yusa.

Noda: (Evil) **"So… It's you and me, buddy. And you have no weapon. Looks to me like you're not going to last very long"**

Glaive chuckles and puts his hands over his mouth in a polite manner. His laugh becomes slightly more intense. Noda stands his ground and becomes serious.

Noda: (Serious) **"Just what the hell are you laughing at?"**

Glaive's chuckle turns into a full-blown, hysterical, evil laughter. Noda points his halberd at his neck, but Glaive continues laughing.

Glaive: (Laughing hysterically) **"You still don't get it? You'll all die here! You're making our work so much easier by just walking into here and-"**

As Glaive begins to finish his statement, Noda quickly twirls his halberd and slashes at his counterpart's chest. A sudden and noticeable ripping sound occurs, and blood is splashed onto the ground to the left. The tip of Noda's halberd is also dripping with crimson. Glaive stops, but his smile persists.

Noda: **"It's about time you learn how to shut the hell up!"**

Glaive continues to laugh. A large, red gash bleeds on his chest. Noda backs up slightly. By this time, the other three have disappeared up to the second floor.

Glaive: (Laughing lightly) **"So, you wish to fight? Well then…"** (Glares with a sense of humor, grinning, speaking lightly) **"I will show you what I am fully capable of…"**

_Meanwhile, upstairs..._

Yusa grips the small, external hard drive with the initials _'A-P'_ to her chest, crossing her arms over it. Otonashi and Shiina both follow towards the elevator at the end of the hallway. At least seven doors (four on the left, three on the right) lead to different rooms around them, but Yusa was only focused on one… The elevator…

As they continued, Shiina's eyes grew slightly. She gave a slight grunt and bolted her eyes to the left, keeping her head straight.

Shiina: (Quiet) **"We have more company"**

The door directly to their left pops open. Shiina is suddenly tackled to the wall on the opposite side. Otonashi and Yusa both quickly turn around. Otonashi points his gun, but a man wearing no shirt and ripped gym pants held Shiina on the ground with his bulged arm around her neck. Shiina gasped for air. The man grinned and stared at her two friends. Otonashi pointed and pulled the trigger. A loud _'bang'_ echoed throughout the house. The man suddenly jumps back, letting go of Shiina. He grips his bleeding shoulder, growling.

Shiina: (Yelling) **"Run, now!"**

All three of them dash towards the elevator. Suddenly, the man pulls out a silver object from his front pocket. It was a handgun. He aims it at the three and pulls the trigger. Shiina lets out a loud yelp and trips to the ground. Her momentum pushes Yusa and Otonashi into the elevator. The door suddenly closes slowly. Shiina looks forward at her friends, her leg bleeding, outside the confines of the small space. She smiles at them. As the elevator closes in front of Shiina's face, Otonashi and Yusa both could see the large, muscular guy approaching Shiina from behind.

Shiina: **"Save them…"**

Otonashi: (Desperate) **"NO! SHIINA!"**

Otonashi suddenly tries gripping the inside of the door to keep it open, but it doesn't budge. It continues to close in front of him and Yusa. Shiina is suddenly grabbed by her injured leg, letting out a painful yell. The door finally closes completely, and the last two begin ascending slowly. They could hear a loud scream from below, then silence.

Otonashi feels a sudden rush of anger and sadness for the loss of Shiina and possibly Noda.

Otonashi: (Hitting his fist on the elevator door, yelling) **"DAMMIT!"**

He puts his hand and head against the door, closing his eyes in anger.

Yusa: (Reassuring) **"Stop. We can't worry about them. They will take care of themselves. We have something we need to do now"**

The elevator stops and the doors suddenly crack open slowly. As the air from the next room begins to seep through, both Yusa and Otonashi are overcome with this disgusting odor, like rotten meat. Yusa loses her bearing for a moment even from the smell. As the door opens even more, it reveals such a horror that causes both of them to jump back with shivers running down their spines and tears suddenly forming in their eyes.

Their friends… All of them… Naoi, Fujimaki, Hinata, Matsushita the Fifth, Irie, Ooyama, Takematsu, Takeyama, TK, Yui, Yuri, Iwasawa, Sekine, Hisako… Their bodies illuminated by the sunlight shining through a large window.

All of them lay on the ground, all shallow to the breath, bloodied clothes and skin, forced to sleep in their own bloody mess, tortured and maimed.

Otonashi: (Shocked, eyes widened) **"My god… Who would want such a thing? My friends…"**

Otonashi suddenly lost a tear, as it ran quickly down the left side of his face. Yusa walks out with her bearing in-tact. She takes off the backpack and keeps grip on the external hard drive in her other hand. She opens the bag and takes out the charged laptop. She looks on the ground for the short, bowl-haired kid. She kneels over at him and opens the laptop, then plugs the portable hard drive with the _'A-P'_ on it into the computer.

Yusa: **"Takeyama… We need your help…"**

A tired and pained voice suddenly chimes in softly.

Yuri: (Tired, raspy) **"So… You finally came… Yusa…"**

Yusa smiles at Yuri. She sets the laptop down in front of Takeyama's half-awakened body and walks over to Yuri, who was lying down in the center of the room. She kneels and puts her hand under Yuri's head.

Yusa: (Smiling, calm) **"I have a surprise for you, Yuri"**

Yuri: (Confused) **"Wha-… What are you doing here? It's too dangerous…"**

Yusa points at the elevator where Otonashi still stared from in horror. Yuri tries picking up her head as best as she could. Her face was scarred and had dried, crimson stains on her cheeks. Yuri gasps and her heart skips a beat. Her eyes widen and begin to form tears. She makes a valiant effort to sitting up by herself. Yusa helps her by lifting Yuri by her left arm. Yuri stands with help and pushes Yusa aside softly. Otonashi stays in the elevator, still in shock. Yuri slowly limps towards him with a surprised and a face, as if she had seen a ghost. Yuri didn't think it was real. She stayed on him. She put her arms out as she got close and suddenly fell onto him. Otonashi caught her and helped her back to her feet. Suddenly, her arms found their way around his body.

Yuri: (Tearing up, soft-voiced, raspy) **"I don't believe it… After two years… You're back… Otonashi!"**

Otonashi couldn't help himself. Overwhelmed with relief and a long-awaited desire for reunion, he quickly puts his arms around her as well and returns her embrace. Otonashi's eyes begin to shiver slightly, to avoid the tears.

Otonashi: (Soft) **"Yuri…"**

Everyone in the room suddenly began coming to, lifting their heads and regaining themselves. Voices begin to suddenly sound randomly, **"It's Yusa…" "Oh my god…" "We're saved?" "Finally!"**

Yusa kneels over next to Takeyama, who just came to as well. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, stretching and popping his back.

Yusa: **"Takeyama… I need you to fix Angel Player"**

Takeyama: (Attempting to comprehend) **"What the… What are you doing here?"**

Yusa: **"That's unimportant right now. Can you fix Angel's file?"**

Takeyama was slightly confused and wondered why Yusa would ask such a strange request, or why she was even here in the first place. Takeyama moved his laptop towards him and studied it. The program called _'Angel Player'_ was open on the screen. He looked at it and noticed that Angel's file was no longer existent.

Yusa: **"I need you to remake Angel's file. Can you give her back her Guard Skills?"**

Takeyama began to realize why she was here. He looked over at the corner on the far side of the long room, where Angel was sleeping against the wall on her knees, right side of her face looking as if it were stuck to the corner where the two walls met.

Takeyama: **"Yes, I can do it. You will need to give me some time"**

Yuri suddenly feels slightly better. She lets go of Otonashi and backs up a few steps from him. She stares at him and he does the same to her. The turns around and grabs his left wrist.

Yuri: (Rushing) **"Come with me"**

Suddenly, Yuri is able to walk perfectly. She pulls him completely into the room. Everyone's eyes (aside from Takeyama's and Yusa's) widens as they fixate themselves on their old friend. **"It's him!" "I can't believe it!" "Otonashi!"**

In the distant, isolated corner of the room, a pair of golden eyes suddenly opens slowly after hearing the name _'Otonashi'_.

Otonashi kneels down at Naoi, smiling.

Naoi: (In shock, surprised) **"No way… It can't be… It's you!"**

Naoi suddenly jumps up and embraces Otonashi, tackling him to the ground. Naoi suddenly begins to tear up.

Naoi: (Crying slightly) **"It's been so long! Where?! How?! What…!"**

Otonashi pulls away slightly and begins to stand. He helps Naoi up to his feet and smiles.

Otonashi: **"It's a long story…"**

As Otonashi begins to think of the moments preceding this very time, he realizes that one of the main people in his _'story'_ has yet to even be seen by him. He stops himself and stares blankly. Otonashi could hear small footsteps directly to his right. The room suddenly becomes quiet. Everyone stares at him and the person who was apparently next to him. Yuri stares as well, her eyes shaking in the moment that was fixing to occur.

As Otonashi turned his head right, he became more blinded. The sun slightly reflected beams of light from her white hair, blinding him for a split moment. He knew exactly who it was. He could see her golden gaze, staring into him, burning a hole into his mind (metaphorically speaking of course). Otonashi gasped, and his eyes grew. The silence cut through the room like glass. Otonashi's breathing was stuttered. His whole body trembled. You could feel his nerves resonate a feeling of joy buried deep within his nervous body.

Kanade: (Calm and monotonous) **"Yuzuru…"**


	5. Chapter 5: Angel Control

Chapter 5: Angel Control

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12:30 PM

Otonashi's eyes shook nervously. The light from the girl's shining, white hair ceased to blind him as his eyes gradually got used to the light. The entire room was silent. Everyone watched, even Takeyama who was still trying to figure out how to fix the program.

Otonashi was stunned. He had no idea what to do. He only could dream of this very moment. For two and a half years, he could only wish for this moment to happen: surrounded by all of his old friends he once knew before they went away… And most of all, standing before the beautiful Kanade Tachibana… The same girl who he gave his heart to… The same girl he said he loved… The same girl he never stopped thinking about, even after she disappeared in front of his very own eyes.

Angel stared at him with her radiant, golden eyes, not knowing what would happen next. She knew he was stunned, but he had no idea that she was, too. She stood, holding her bearing, in the same uniform, despite it having gained a few bloodstains and tears.

Yuri suddenly smiled and giggled. Otonashi looked back and was broken from the binding spell that was Angel's stare. Angel was also confused at why Yuri had suddenly begun to giggle.

Yuri: (Giggling) **"Oh geez, you both make things so difficult"**

Yuri suddenly slams Otonashi with her shoulder. His momentum is brought forward towards Angel. Otonashi realizes that he was headed straight for the short girl. He tries stopping, but his natural instinct makes him grab her by the shoulders to keep him from falling forward. Suddenly, Angel's face is burrowed into Otonashi's chest. He realizes what Yuri was trying to do. He backs up a step and keeps both arms on her shoulders. Her eyes opened and stared into his. Suddenly her straight face turned into a smile. She suddenly embraced him, throwing her arms around his body and digging the right side of her face into his chest once more.

Angel: **"I missed you, Yuzuru"**

Otonashi was stunned for a moment once again. His mind began to return to normal. He put his arms around her also. His eyes began to water up slightly.

Otonashi: (Avoiding tears) **"I missed you, too… Kanade"**

Everyone in the room couldn't help but to smile.

Yui: **"I'm so confused… But that is the sweetest thing I've ever seen!"**

TK: (Lyrically) **"Crazy love, kisses and all"**

Naoi: **"Hey, you both don't get too cozy together"**

Yui: (Yelling at Naoi) **"Hey! You stop that! This is sweet of them! You leave them alone!"**

Naoi: **"I wasn't saying what they were doing was-"**

Suddenly, Naoi is interrupted by a loud banging sound underneath their own feet.

Angel looks up and lets go of Otonashi.

Angel: (Monotonous) **"We should be leaving"**

Yuri: **"Takeyama, are you done?"**

Takeyama doesn't move. Yuri puts her hands to her mouth and shows a slightly worried look. Yusa leans close to him and pushes his shoulder.

Otonashi: (Putting a hand on his forehead) **"Oh man, please tell me he's only daydreaming"**

Takeyama falls over with a hole under his chin, bleeding.

Angel: **"They're shooting from under us…? The floors must be very thin"**

Yusa: **"This is nice"**

Otonashi takes out his Glock 17 and aims downward. He walks over to the hole in the ground where someone shot upward at Takeyama. He could see one person walking. He flinches and guesses where the individual is. He aims and quickly pulls the trigger. The bullet drill into the floor, tossing tiny splinters around the small bullet hole. A noticeable, painful yelling is heard.

**"Son of a bitch, I'm shot!"**

Otonashi: **"I hit him!"**

Yuri: **"Angel Player! Check to see if it works! Kanade!"**

Angel: (Nods) [Speaks below her breath] **_"Guard Skill, Distortion…"_**

Nothing happens. Yuri growls and looks at the screen. She notices that something on the program 'Angel Player' is flashing. She clicks on the flashing button and suddenly, the sound of an object pixelating occurs behind them. Angel is covered by blocks and pixels, and for a split second she becomes slightly transparent. Suddenly a loud 'bang' sounds from the floor below. Everyone flinches except Angel. The bullet is seen going through Angel and ricocheting slightly after passing through her. Except the projectile did not even touch her, but merely phased through her. Yuri raised an eyebrow.

Yuri: (Confused) **"The hell?"** (Ponders for a moment) **"Try your hand blade thing!"**

Angel: (Nods) [Speaking below her breath] **_"Guard Skill, Hand Sonic"_**

Again nothing happens. Yuri looks on the program again and sees that the button is flashing, but in a different spot where the Hand Sonic skill was. She clicks on it and suddenly, a shining blade begins forming out of the cuffs of Angel's school jacket.

Yuri: (Amazed) **"Whoa… It works!"**

Everyone becomes slightly amazed, smiling. All except for Yusa (for reasons involving her lack of emotion) and Takeyama (who at the moment was 'dead'). Matsushita the 5th runs over to Takeyama's body and picks him up. He walks over to the elevator to see if it works, but nothing happens.

Matsushita5: **"We should bust through the walls. It should be easy enough with Angel's sword thing"**

Otonashi: **"You guys go ahead then"**

Yui: (High-pitched yelling) **"Umm, you aren't thinking about staying, are you? Are you a moron?!"**

Yusa: (Calm and monotonous) **"We have to. Noda and Shiina are here as well. They stayed behind so Otonashi and I could save you all.**

Angel ponders for a moment and smiles. She looks down at her hand sonic and then at the floor.

Angel: **"A moment please"**

Angel walks over to the middle of the floor, where the bullet hole was. She stabs her hand sonic into the ground and begins slashing madly at an area over and over again, weakening the wooden floor. She stomps a few times, and then continues to slash madly at it, and amazingly without a single hint of frustration in her face. The slashing stops. Angel moves away from the area she cut up and stands still. The floor she thrashed begins to fall inward into the floor below them. The splinter and wooden chunks fell down below, pelting a man who was hit by Otonashi's miracle bullet.

**"Hey! What the…?!" (Looks up) "Hey! They're escaping!"**

Otonashi: **"Umm… Yeah… What about him?"**

Naoi: **"Just waste him. That's what I'd do"**

Otonashi: **"You really think I should?"**

Hinata: (Excitingly) **"That just might be the most awesome thing I would have the good fortune of seeing these past few years. Otonashi shooting a guy? Sign me up for that!"** (Clasps hands together)

Otonashi: **"Dude, come on, I swear both you and Naoi have had this strange thing for me. Seriously, are you both gay?"**

Naoi: (Curious) **"Why? Do you want us to be g-"**

Yuri: (Interrupts) **"Just waste his ass!"**

Otonashi aims and pulls the trigger. The guy falls over dead (for now), letting out a loud grunt. Yuri looks at Angel. They both nod. Angel walks up to the window and turns towards Otonashi.

Angel: (Below her own breath) **"Guard skill, Hand Sonic, version four…"**

Yuri sees a button flash once more on Angel Player. She moves the mouse on the computer and clicks on it. Suddenly, Angel's hand sonic blade begins to pixelate and glow. It grows at least seven times its size into a large, blunt object in the shape of a giant flower. Everyone is stunned, other than Otonashi, who has already seen this once before.

Yui: (Squealing) **"OH MY GOD, IT'S SO CUTE!"**

Angel smiles lightly at Yui.

Angel: **"Thank you"** (Looks at Otonashi) [Sarcastic, but still monotonous] **"At least someone likes my work"**

Otonashi remembers the conversation he had with Angel when he was trapped inside of the detention cell (episode 6 reference to the conversation about when Angel told Otonashi she tried to make her Hand Sonic version 4 into a flower, Otonashi replied that it was a creepy-looking thing).

Otonashi: (Face-palm) **"Come on… Why pick on me?"**

Angel smiles at him. She advances towards the windows and pauses. She raises the large, silver, blunt object. Angel then turns her body to gain momentum and swings once in a quick, fluent, and violent motion. The window and the wall around it explodes outward. Dust flies everywhere and debris falls onto the roof outside of the window. Everyone covers their face and flinches. The dust settles and a large, bright orb in the sky reveals a ray of light that the others act as if they haven't seen in days (it has been days).

Hinata: **"Fresh air!"**

Takematsu: (Adjusting his glasses) **"This is nice"**

Matsushita5: (Carrying Takeyama's unconscious body over his shoulder) **"I got the bowl-hair kid"**

Angel: **"You all go ahead. I will stay with Yuzuru"**

Yui: (Grinning at Angel and Otonashi) **"She called Otonashi by his first name"** (Giggling, then looks at Otonashi) **"I think she likes you!"**

Hinata: (Suddenly finding himself putting Yui in a headlock) [Yells] **"Dammit, woman! We don't have time for the jokes! He obviously isn't interested in her! He's MY best friend, and no one else!"**

Hinata rambles on with a hint of jealousy in his voice. Yui lets out a series of painful whines.

Yui: (Slightly suffering) **"This really hurts! Let go you jerk!"**

Both of them ramble on.

Yuri: (To Angel) **"Are you sure about this, Kanade?"**

Angel: (To Yuri) **"I am positive. Yuzuru can take the controls. He also has a gun. You all are tired still. Go ahead and get to headquarters. You, too, Yusa"**

Yusa gives a confused look, but then nods.

Yuri: (Smiles at Angel) **"Alright, just promise me all four of you will make it back in one piece"**

Otonashi: **"I do not intend on failing. But just be sure you get ready to answer a few questions for me when we get back"**

Yuri smiles and nods her head. She turns around towards the giant, gaping hole and starts towards it. She turns her head and looks at Otonashi.

Yuri: (Trying to hold back sobs) **"Yuzuru, it was good seeing you again. It really was. Please come back with Noda, Shiina, and Kanade"**

Otonashi smiles at Yuri and looks at everyone else in the room. He goes over to where Takeyama had the laptop and picks it up.

Otonashi: "Don't worry about us. You all go ahead"

Yuri: **"You all heard him! Let's go!"**

Yuri jumps off onto the roof of the next floor down. Everyone else follows suit.

TK: **"Kiss ya later, wild lovers!"**

TK, then Matsushita5, who was also holding Takeyama. Yusa, then Hinata and Yui. Sekine, Hisako, and Iwasawa. Fujimaki and last Ooyama (I think I got all of them).

Angel and Otonashi were the only ones left. Otonashi held the laptop with Angel Player opened on the screen, while also holding his gun. Angel looks at him.

Angel: (Beneath her breath) **"Guard skill, hand sonic, version one"**

Otonashi sees a button appear on the screen. He places a finger on the mouse touch pad and moves the cursor to the button, then clicks on it. Suddenly, the enormous, metallic flower on Angel's arm dissipates and becomes a small blade again.

Otonashi: **"So it is voice-toggled… I see now. But something is wrong with the programing" (Smiles) "I will never understand how a computer program in the afterlife could make a girl do something as unthinkable as creating a blade out of thin air from her own wrists" **(Pauses to look at her) **"But then again, it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen"**

Angel smiles at him and walks over to the hole in the floor. She jumps down carefully and lands on the second floor. Otonashi closes the laptop and puts it between his left arm and his body safely. He sits at the edge of the hole and eases himself into it. He lands on both feet and rolls safely with the laptop to absorb the shock of the fall. He opens the computer back up to see the program still working for Angel. She continues into the hallway, both of them passing the man that Otonashi had killed earlier. They notice blood and cuts on the wall. There was indeed a rough fight down here. Otonashi became extremely worried about Shiina and Noda.

Angel: **"They are ahead. We must go now"**

Otonashi: **"Right!"**

Angel begins to lightly run over to the stairs that lead to the first floor. Otonashi followed. They run down the stairs and notice that the slashes that appeared on the wall became more severe. The sign of a great fight, and surely made by Noda's reckless swinging of his halberd. They reached the bottom of the stairs. Otonashi's eyes became wide. He flinched. Ahead, Noda held Shiina up with her left arm around his neck. She was barely conscious. He was struggling to stay up. Ahead of them was the same man that had greeted them when they entered the house, Glaive Sinister.

Glaive: (Acknowledging Angel and Otonashi) **"Oh, there are the other troublemakers!" **(Counting only two individuals behind Noda and Shiina) **"I see there are only two of you. I could have sworn I could have counted more!"**

Otonashi: **"Leave us alone! We just want to leave! Get out of our way!"**

Glaive lets out a chuckle.

Noda: **"It's no use talking to this stubborn ass, Otonashi. Hey, where's Yurippe and the others?"**

Otonashi: **"Don't worry about that right now. We have to get out of this place and get home"**

Glaive: **"Why would you want to leave?" (Pauses to laugh) "The party is just beginning, my friend!"**

Glaive suddenly puts his left hand by his right side and makes a grab for something. Suddenly, a large hilt appears from nowhere. He pulls it from his side and as he does, a large, gold-trimmed, steel blade appears before their very eyes. Otonashi and Noda both give a concerned look. Shiina can barely stand. Noda backs up and lays her down next to Otonashi, then grips his halberd, brandishing it at Glaive. Angel steps in front of Noda. He looks down at the white-haired girl and grunts.

Noda: **"What are you-?"**

Noda stops himself. He looks down by her side and notices that there were blades extending from her cuffs. He realized that she finally had her Guard Skills available. Suddenly, without hesitation, and in a blink of an eye, Angel dashes at Glaive.

Otonashi: **"Kanade!"**

She ignores Otonashi. Suddenly, the sounds of two metallic objects colliding deafen the air within the large foyer. Otonashi quickly looks into the screen of Angel player and realizes that he has many different buttons lighting up. He looks at one reading "delay". He clicks on it and watches the short girl suddenly reappear in a different position almost immediately. Glaive takes a wrong step and is suddenly slashed on his arm. He grins and chuckles. Angel slashes again, but misses. He swings down harshly. Angel crosses the blades over her head to avoid being struck by the heavy sword. She lets out a slight grunt and glares. Sparks fly in front of her face.

Otonashi looks at his screen once more and notices a skill open up, 'Guard Skill: Howling'. Otonashi gasps and clicks on it quickly.

Otonashi: **"Noda, cover your ears!"**

Suddenly, a harsh, high-pitched, metallic screeching erupts throughout the entire house. Glaive backs up, covering his ears in pain. Noda covers his ears and drops his halberd immediately. Otonashi drops to his knees and nearly drops the laptop on the ground to take cover from the harsh sound. Noda looks past Angel, who was standing near the door. Glaive drops his large sword and is still suffering from the sound as well. Noda quickly acts.

He drops his arms from his head and makes a grab for Shiina and his halberd. He carries the girl over his shoulder and his halberd in the other hand. Quickly, he runs past Angel. His ears begin to suddenly feel less and less pain, and the sounds begin to muffle to him. Otonashi looks over at Noda, who was already halfway to the front door. A crimson liquid began to drip down the side of Noda's neck.

Otonashi: [Thinking to himself] _"Oh my god! His ears are bleeding!_

Otonashi realized what Noda was doing, and what Angel's intentions were when she tried activating her Howling. Otonashi quickly got up and closed the laptop, trying to cover his ears to the best of his ability. He began to dash to the door, following Noda. Noda smashes the door open with a brute swing of his halberd. The door budged as quickly as Noda swung. They both, including Shiina, were finally out in the yard. The screeching stops. And suddenly Angel's Hand Sonic began to pixelate. Glaive still held his hands to his ears, in shock of the loudness of such sounds. Angel followed them out and caught up to them. All of them quickly dashed into the street, abandoning the house. No one followed, but then again, none of the escapees looked back to see if they were following. They were home free.

13:30PM

Otonashi sat on a bench of a balcony on the second floor of the SSS headquarters, which overlooked the skyline of a large city. The sun was still high, and everyone who was in the SSS who had just been rescued were tending to the injured and readjusting to the freedom they had not seen in two weeks.

Otonashi sighed. He could hear faint footsteps sneaking behind him. Suddenly, he could feel two hands resting around his neck and meeting at his chest. Otonashi was completely taken by surprise. He knew exactly who it was.

Otonashi: (Taken by surprise) **"Oh, hey, Kanade! What are you-?"**

Yuri: (Interrupts) **"Guess again, sweet thing!"**

Otonashi is stricken by even more surprise. He was completely wrong about who he thought it was! He jumps up, her arms let go of him as he steps back quickly against the balcony rails.

Otonashi: (Surprised and in slight shock) **"What are you d-doing, Yuri!?"**

Yuri: **"What do you mean what am I doing?"**

Otonashi: (Stuttering) **"You just… I mean I was… You snuck… What I mean is…"**

Yuri: **"Chill, dude"** (Laughs and pauses for a moment) **"I just wanted to see how you would react if it were me instead of her"**

Otonashi: (Still taken aback by Yuri's insinuation) **"What do you mean?"**

Yuri walks over to the balcony rail and rests her arms on it, looking towards the city skyline.

Yuri: (Becoming a little serious) **"Kanade already told me everything"**

Otonashi's face suddenly becomes slightly mellow. He eases himself and walks over next to Yuri and rests his arms on the rail as well. He breathes in lightly and begins to speak, but stops himself before I could say a word. He thinks for a moment, overwhelmed by the emotion he had gone through the past few years, and especially when Angel disappeared from his life two and a half years ago.

Otonashi: **"No matter how much I tried accepting the fact that she was gone, it never went away"**

Yuri: **"I understand. I felt terrible when she told me the story, about how you said that you loved her, and how you wanted to stay with her forever to help lost souls guide their way into the next life. You wanted to be with her more than anything, even since the beginning when we first met, didn't you?"**

Otonashi: (Breathes) **"I don't ever regret a single day we all spent together. I really don't. I love all of you. You're all my friends, practically family. But as I got closer to Kanade… It was like I couldn't stand to be away from her. Yuri, I don't even understand it myself…"**

Yuri: **"Sure you do. It's simple. Stop thinking so hard about it"**

Otonashi: **"What do you mean it's simple?"**

Yuri: **"Otonashi, you said it yourself. You said it to her face. Don't tell me everything you said to her wasn't true"**

Otonashi: **"Of course it was all true"**

Yuri: **"What did you tell her?"**

Otonashi: (Sighs, hesitantly speaking) **"That… I…"** (Stops)

Yuri: **"Go on…"**

Otonashi: **"I love Kanade"**

Yuri keeps her sights fixated on the city, smiling at what Otonashi had said. Suddenly, a noticeable click is heard from Otonashi's left, where Yuri stood. Her smile turned into a grin. Otonashi's face began growing red, not with anger, but slight humiliation.

Otonashi: **"You do know I said all of this in confidence"**

Yuri: **"That doesn't mean I can't document it privately"**

Otonashi: **"I… I have no words, Yuri"**

Yuri laughs and holds up a voice recorder. She replays what Otonashi said thirty seconds before, **"I love Kanade".**

Otonashi: (Glaring at Yuri) **"I hate your guts right now"**

Yuri: **"Haters gonna hate! I'm just documenting this moment. It was so precious!"** (Laughs)

Yuri turns around and starts walking towards the balcony door to the inside of the SSS HQ.

Yuri: **"Otonashi, if you really want it gone, I can delete it. I'm sorry. I just was missing out on two years of your flustering"**

Otonashi chuckles lightly. He waves her on and turns back around to face the city skyline.

Otonashi: **"It's okay. Do what you want. I don't really care"** (Smiling)

Yuri walked into HQ. Otonashi stared out and the air grew silent once more. He was alone again.

Otonashi: (Talking to himself) **"Does she really know though? It's been over two years… I still miss her, more than anything. I wish I could just tell her again. Why am I so flustered? Why am I such a fool for telling her all of that? Would it have been easier to just not played detective and fought her with the rest of Yuri's group?" (Pulling his own hair, stressing himself) "I'm such an idiot! Why am I even talking to myself?!"** (Sigh) **"I think I really do…"**

Angel: **"Yuzuru? Is everything okay?"**

Otonashi jumps and turns around, realizing it was her. His heart begins to race, his palms begin to dampen, and his mind begins to move at a million words per second. He gives a fake smile and greets her.

Otonashi: **"Oh hey, Kanade! How… How are you?"**

Angel: **"You are strange, Yuzuru"** (Pauses, cocking her head to the left slightly) **"Are you okay?"**

Otonashi: **"Of course I am! What do you mean?"**

Angel:** "You were talking to yourself. You seemed fairly angry. Should I come back later?"**

Otonashi: (Preventing her from leaving) **"No! Don't worry! I'm fine, I swear!" (Calms down, becoming a little more sincere) "If anything, I'm glad you're here…"** (Pauses)** "I'm very glad you're here"**

Angel walks over to the bench and sits down. Otonashi looks at her. She pats the spot on the bench next to herself, offering him a seat. He takes the opportunity and walks over to the bench. He sits next to her. She stares forward towards the skyline. Otonashi tries nudging his way a little closer, hoping she would not notice. She didn't say anything. They both just sit there, watching to sky, silently. Otonashi doesn't know what to say. He begins to open his mouth to say something, but before he could let out a single syllable, Angel begins to speak.

Angel: **"Yuzuru, I'm sorry"**

Otonashi is stunned. He doesn't know what to say. An apology from out of nowhere. He had no words… He thought for a moment.

Otonashi: **"Kanade… Don't be. Your well-being is what you should be worried about. Don't worry"**

Angel: **"But you don't understand…"** (Eyes beginning to shake to prevent tears, trying to keep bearing in order**) "I didn't want to leave"**

Otonashi: **"Really?"**

Angel: **"Yes. I didn't want to leave you there, but my desires were fulfilled at the time. I had no reason to be there anymore according to how that place works. But when I came here, I realized you were still back in the afterlife school. I felt terrible for leaving you behind. I felt regretful, sadness, but at the same time… love"**

Otonashi's heart skipped. He darted his eyes at her. She kept looking forward.

Angel: **"You gave me something that was so near and dear… life. After we finally met and got along, you gave me something just as valuable… love. But I took it and left it for you to carry for a couple of years, left you in solitude, suffering from a broken heart. I knew, because I could feel it. I could feel your sadness before I left. But…"**

Otonashi: (Interrupts) **"Kanade, I have a question"**

Angel: (Stops, looks at him) **"What is it?"**

Otonashi: **"Two and a half years ago, before you… well, you know…" (Pauses) "I told you that… I wanted to stay with you. I also admitted that maybe…"** (Pauses and sighs) **"That I loved you…"**

Otonashi's right hand suddenly searches the surface of the stone bench slowly and finds Angel's. He puts his hand over hers.

Otonashi: (Quiet enough for her to hear) **"Kanade… I just want to know. Do…"** (Pauses) **"Do you love me?"**

Kanade closes her eyes and turns her head forward. She pulls her hand from under his, and then looks down at her legs.

Angel: **"I've dreamt of that same moment many nights. I've relived those moments over and over again, destroying my morale and my hope, feeling sorrowful for leaving you like that, leaving you without resolution, or a hint of my own personal feelings"**

Otonashi looks down at his legs as well. He begins to feel a sudden surge of hopelessness engulf his body.

Angel: **"However…"**

His eyes move upward slightly, facing the balcony rails.

Angel: **"Your presence soothed the disturbance within my mind, gave me resolution, and reminded me that everything was going to be okay"**

Otonashi nods, still facing forward.

Angel: (Biting her lower lip, beginning to tear up) **"Which is why you deserve a resolution, Yuzuru"**

Suddenly, out of what seemed nowhere, Angel put her right hand over Otonashi's left cheek and quickly turned his face towards hers. She took her left hand and put it around his shoulder and pushed her face towards his. Otonashi didn't know what was happening. Everything seemed to move slowly. Suddenly, their lips met. Both their eyes grew heavy and closed.

Everything stood still. Every worry Yuzuru Otonashi has ever felt in life, the stress, the misery, the pain, all suddenly began to become numb. None of it mattered anymore. His heart began to slam in his chest.

Angel released her lips from his and held her arms around him. Their eyes met. He stared deeply into her golden eyes, entrancing him. It was something about her monotonous stare that pierced into the very crevice of his soul.

Angel: **"A few years ago, you told me that you loved me. You wanted me to say it back. A few minutes ago, you told me that you loved me. Then you asked me if I loved you as well"** (Pauses) **"I love you, too… Yuzuru"**


	6. Chapter 6: Session

Author's note: I feel like I've left out some viable information that I probably should have put into the past chapters before this one, so I decided I would go ahead and try filling in some of that information here. There is quite a bit of dialogue, but I'm hoping this one would be enjoyable to you guys as well!

* * *

Chapter 6: Class In Session

Yuri: **"Go ahead"**

Yuri urged Otonashi to sit down in a chair in front of her desk.

Yuri: **"Sit, Otonashi. We need to have a small chat"**

She pushed his shoulder in a downward motion to get him to relax in a chair in front of the desk. Otonashi looked at her with a slight glare, his sights following her as she went behind the desk to her chair, slightly annoyed at how she had just treated him like some household pet.

Otonashi: (Sarcastic) **"What am I, a dog? Feed me a bone while you're at it"**

Yuri: (She replied in a more forceful tone) **"This is serious…"**

She sat down on her large, plush office chair, crossing her legs and placing her feet on the desk. She twiddled the tips of her fingers together and stared at him.

The room was clear. It was only the two of them. Yuri and Otonashi both sat, with only a desk in-between the both of them.

Yuri: **"So, about those questions… You told me they were very important, yes?"**

Otonashi: (Snapping his fingers) **"Oh! Thank you for reminding me! I forgot…"**

Yuri slapped her palm on her forehead.

Yuri: **"Duh! You told me you had a bunch of questions!"**

Otonashi: **"Yeah, sorry. I got caught up with other things"**

Yuri: **"Yeah, you sure are in a bind, aren't you?" **(Sarcastic) **"I'm sure you and Kanade had to spend a bit of time trying to untie that tongue knot you both had"**

Otonashi: (Blushing) **"Hey! That's none of your-…"**

Otonashi stops himself. He notices that Yuri was grinning, as if he had said something she was not supposed to hear.

Yuri: (Grinning evily) **"OH! So you both… Whoa! I had no idea you both were like that! Hook, line, and sucker!"**

Otonashi: **"Don't you mean 'hook, line, and sinker'?"**

Yuri: **"You can't change the subject. I totally got you to tell me that you both did it!"** (Smiling wildly)

A bunch of dirty thoughts ran through Otonashi's mind at what Yuri had just said a single statement before. His face turned bright pink.

Otonashi: (Exclaiming) **"Did IT?! You are misinformed, miss! How can you say that?! We didn't…"** (Otonashi hesitated, put his palm to his mouth and whispered)… **"We didn't… Do it"**

Yuri: **"Oh, dear god, no! I meant kiss, you idiot!"**

Otonashi: (Slightly relieved) **"Oh, for a moment, I thought you meant something else"** (Going back to Yuri's nosy statements) **"Give it a rest, Yuri… Can we just go ahead and start this session?"**

Yuri: (Teasing) **"You mean our make-out session?"**

Otonashi: **"NO! STOP IT!"**

Yuri: **"Stop what?"**

Otonashi: **"You're not very funny, Yuri"**

Yuri: **"Well, what if I actually thought you were an attractive guy?"**

Otonashi: (Gasping and taken aback completely) **"Yuri!"**

Otonashi pauses. His expression changes, going from slightly bashful to a more serious look. Yuri looks up at the ceiling, getting rid of her evil smile and joking expression.

Otonashi: **"Yuri… Are you…"** (Pauses)

Yuri: (Looks at Otonashi and blinks) **"Am I… what…"**

Otonashi: **"Are you in love with me?"**

Yuri's cheeks turn pink. She sits up, puts her feet on the ground, puts her hands on the surface of the desk and holds her body over it, trying to get within inches of Otonashi's face. She smiles seductively at him. Otonashi is taken aback and his cheeks also glow bright pink, but he hesitates.

Otonashi: **"Oh my god, Yuri, what are you…!"**

Yuri: (Smiling seductively) **"Just stay still, Yuzuru…"**

Otonashi's eyes grow and he is alarmed at her sudden seductiveness. She gets closer; he digs his back into the chair he sat in. She stops about three inches from his face, with her body lying completely on her desk. She suddenly begins to chuckle. She puts her head down and begins to laugh hysterically. Otonashi looks at her and glares.

Otonashi: (Realizing it was only a joke) **"I figured as much from you…"**

Yuri: (Laughing) **"It was good though, huh?"**

Otonashi: **"Can we please move on?"**

Yuri: (Becoming a little more serious) **"Fine. Go ahead"**

She backs up off of the desk and sits back down in her chair, twiddling the tips of her fingers once more in front of her face.

Otonashi: (Sarcastic, sighing) **"Just let me gain my senses back from your terrible joke"**

She smiled.

Yuri: **"I did that prank on Hinata when he first got to the Afterlife School. I think he fell for it a bit more than you did though"**

Otonashi rolled his eyes and smiled from the corner of his mouth, then crossed his arms.

Otonashi: **"Tell me why I am here"**

Yuri: **"I thought you already knew?"**

Otonashi: **"I thought that was the real you when I was in heaven. Apparently that version of you didn't tell me anything"**

Yuri: **"Well, it didn't lie to you. The reason we're all here is pretty simple: to take down the evil that's persuading the mortal world"**

Otonashi: **"Persuading?"**

Yuri: **"My clone in heaven never told you? Well anyways, the evil is powerful, we all know that. They defeated us about two or so weeks ago, tortured us, and destroyed our morale just for their enjoyment, but that was because they knew we posed as some form of threat before they trapped us in that house"**

Otonashi: **"Wow… You all were trapped?"**

Yuri: **"I don't want to talk about it…"**

Otonashi: **"Fair enough… But how is the evil in the spirit world affecting the world of the living?"**

Yuri: **"It's kind of complicated… This spirit world coexists with the mortal world, so essentially they share many of the same things. For one, in our world, we see it in a physical standpoint. We all can touch, feel, taste, smell, and sense things, just like the human world. We see the mortal world in our personal standpoint as the spirit world. It's like how the world of the living sees this world as the spirit world. We can't see the living, and they can't see us, but they can sense us, and we can sense them"**

Otonashi: **"Whoa… So everything about flash photography showing pictures of shadows if they take a picture of a 'so called' ghost…"**

Yuri: **"That's all true. Flash photography will reveal where we are. We can also sometimes hear voices, just like they can hear ours, but only if they're close"**

Otonashi: **"Is this place inhabited by the living as well?"**

Yuri: **"No. It's an old abandon warehouse"**

Otonashi: **"This is all just so weird… I never thought… You know, that I'd ever be a… ghost"**

Yuri: **"Technically, we're ghosts, but we're here for a reason. We're not lost and we don't have anything we're too attached to in this world"**

Otonashi: **"So what are the guidelines to this contract?"**

Yuri: **"The contract has a few conditions you must abide by. One of them is that you must not abandon the contract. If such actions are thought to have been committed, you will be obliterated into your next life. The second condition is that you must not reveal the contract to the evil or anyone you might think is evil. The third: you can opt out of the contract at any time without consequences. It is completely voluntary to fight with us. **

Otonashi: **Are there any other 'hunters of evil'?**

Yuri: **"Yes, but usually only those who pass by this area. We're the only group in this area apparently.**

Otonashi: **"What about the guild? Are they here, too?"**

Yuri: **"They're in another area away from us, about two miles north of here, actually"**

Otonashi rubs his chin and thinks for a moment, taking in all of the information he was just told. Then he remembered something…

Otonashi: **"What about those Sinister guys? I guess what you all call 'the evil'? I noticed you guys changed your patches, too…"**

Yuri stares directly into Otonashi's eyes right as he mentions them. She becomes slightly uneasy, but answers nevertheless.

Yuri: **"Oh… Them… They're our new enemy. We were tasked to removing this world of any evil we might run into"**

Otonashi: **"What kind of things could they possibly do to cause things to screw up in the world of the living though?"**

Yuri: **"Remember when I said our worlds coexist?"**

Otonashi: **"I see…"**

Yuri: **"Do you understand now? They can still cause some damage, even though they're what you call 'ghosts'. Possessing, causing 'bad luck', and all that other bad stuff… It's all real. That doesn't even compare to the power they control in this world. They're fearsome, but then again, so are we"**

Otonashi: **"What do we have?"**

Yuri: **"We have guns and of course Kanade and Angel Player. And because this world doesn't require being as flexible as that school, we have more of a wide variety of range to move. The possibilities here are endless compared to that other place"**

Otonashi: **"So… Resources are actually within reach… We can make virtually anything we want"**

Yuri: **"Exactly…"**

Otonashi looks down and thinks for a moment.

Otonashi: (Depressing) **"I just remembered something…"**

Yuri looks at him, thinking there is something awry. She attempts to sympathize with him.

Yuri: **"What's wrong?"**

Otonashi: **"I just remembered everyone having these… Skills"**

Yuri: **"Huh? What skills? You mean Kanade? She's the only one with the guard skills as of now"**

Otonashi: **"No, that's not what I meant"**

Yuri: **"I don't believe I'm catching your drift, buddy"**

Otonashi: (Sighs) **"I mean… What do I have? Sure, I can shoot a gun, but… You have this great ability to lead and persuade others, Matsushita The Fifth is a fifth degree black belt, everyone who was in GlDeMo can play this amazing music to soothe the masses and create diversions, Fujimaki is some kind of expert swordsman, TK can dance and has this unexplainable strength, Takeyama is super smart, Shiina is this amazing dagger-juggling queen, Naoi can hypnotize people, Takematsu is excellent at gathering intelligence, Ooyama for some reason can pick up a sniper and never miss from what I can remember, and don't even allow me to talk highly about that stupid Noda! What do I have though? I'm just… me"**

Yuri: (Takes a deep breath, then thinks for a moment) **"You know, about a month ago, Hinata and I had this same conversation. He was depressed when we came back from an operation because he had no viable skills like everyone else. Even Ooyama found his talent, and that was guns. Hinata became, not necessarily envious of everybody, but he felt helpless about not having any special abilities"**

Otonashi: **"So what did you guys find out his special abilities were?"**

Yuri: **"He doesn't have any"**

Otonashi looked down in disappointment. Yuri smiled and was brought back to past memories.

Yuri: **"But without him, where would I be? He helped me get to where I was, just like how you helped all of us get to where we were. Without you both, we'd probably still be in that other world, fighting against Kanade"**

Otonashi: **"But…"**

Yuri: (Interrupts) **"If it helps, you and Hinata are our test subjects for Operation: Armament"**

Otonashi: (Raises an eyebrow) **"Excuse me?"**

Yuri grins at him. He becomes slightly worried and crosses his arms. The name of the operation itself made him cringe slightly, considering he was apparently the 'test subject', along with Hinata.

Otonashi: **"Why are we testing subjects? And what is this test exactly?"**

Yuri: **"Don't be such a little bitch!"**

Otonashi: (Appalled at her answer, snaps back) **"What the hell?! You insult me after volunteering me for some sick science project I don't even know about?! If anyone here is the…"** (Hesitates) **"If anyone here's the… bitch, it's you!"**

Yuri chuckles.

Yuri: **"It's kind of adorable when you insult people. But digressing back to the matter, it's nothing that's going to harm you both"**

Otonashi: **"It's the principle, Yuri! Why volunteer us for something we have no idea about?"**

Yuri: **"Hinata knows about it…"**

Otonashi: **"I'm not Hinata!"**

Yuri: **"Well, you know about it now! So why act surprised… Besides, you should be happy we're trying to input Guard Skills into you both"**

Otonashi suddenly stopped, his eyes grew, his pulse skipped, and he gasped, completely taken aback by what Yuri had just said to him.

Otonashi: (Stuttering) **"Guard…- Guard skills? No way…"**

Yuri: **"Guard Skills, as you know are run by Angel Player, a program that Takeyama was able to recreate in this world. He was familiar with the program already, so it only took a year or so to remake it here. When he recreated it, he tried inputting a digital model of Kanade using the program, but ended up creating Yui's unintentionally, considering that they are about the same height and body-type. When he tested the Hand Sonic, Yui ended up accidentally stabbing Noda. That wasn't a very fun day for him. After that event, we realized that the Guard Skills weren't specific to Kanade, but to whoever's body was input digitally into Angel Player. But the models have to be exact replicas of your body in order for it to work. It also must be attuned to your voice, considering that's how you activate it"**

Otonashi: **"That's… amazing!"**

Yuri: **"I suppose it is"** (Pauses) **"I need you to answer a question for me…"**

Otonashi: **"Sure, go ahead"**

Yuri: **"About Kanade… If she didn't have her guard skills, what skills would she have?"**

Otonashi stumbled over his own thoughts, thinking he had the question already answered. His mind moved quickly, but he had no answer. He looked at Yuri, who watched him struggle to find an answer. He had none though.

Yuri: **"Without her guard skills, she'd be what you would think is pretty useless, according to what you and Hinata think of your personal skills. She really has no special abilities other than the help of a computer program, just like how Ooyama has his sniper rifle, and Takeyama with his technology. You all have some sort of value within this group. You might not see it as much, but everyone else can. It would be fairly difficult to get along here without you and Hinata. It was hard enough waiting two years for you… especially for her!"**

Otonashi: **"For her?"**

Yuri: (Taking her statement back) **"Never mind…"**

Otonashi: (Demanding) **"No! Tell me now! Stop beating around the bush! You're always the one with the bluntest statements! Tell me what you meant!"**

Yuri sighs and puts her head down.

Yuri: **"She missed you… a lot. Her attitude was different, as if she seemed depressing even though she held her monotonous personality. I can't explain it well. She just held herself with a deep and depressing demeanor, even though she kind of acted the same. I could feel her pain, even though she never showed it. I felt bad for her even"**

Otonashi frowned and looked down at his hands, which laid in his lap. He felt a sudden depressing shadow overcome his emotion.

Otonashi: **"I understand… She was depressed because she had to leave me"**

Yuri: **"She said something about that… She told me you were a wreck when she left. She almost skipped out on the contract because the burden was so much"**

Otonashi: **"I can understand why… I feel terrible for making her feel like that"**

Otonashi looks up at Yuri, who watched him sympathetically. She tried opening her mouth to try saying something, but she couldn't think of a single word for the moment that she could say to ease his mind.

Otonashi: **"I knew revealing my feeling for her was a mistake! I should have just kept my mouth shut!"**

Yuri: **"But Otonashi, everything you told her was true though, right? You really like her, don't you?"**

Otonashi: **"That's just it, Yuri… I don't just like her… I'm in lo-…"**

Yuri: (Interrupts) **"Stop. I get it"**

Otonashi: **"I just don't know if telling her was a good idea, especially if it meant for both of us to be hurt like that. The cost completely outweighed the solution…"**

Yuri: **"But only temporarily…"**

Otonashi: **"Huh? What do you mean temporarily?"**

Yuri: **"Everything you both experienced was temporary. The pain, the waiting, the stress, the regret… All of it is in the past, right?"**

Otonashi: **"I guess, but…-"**

Yuri: (Interrupts) **"There's no buts about it, Otonashi. All of the suffering you both felt was temporary. Now is the present time, and you both have already made ends meet with each other. If you're going to live in the past and develop a complex from those feelings, then all that's going to do is screw you over in a long run. Stop living in the past…"**

Otonashi had nothing to say after that. He realized that everything she said was true. He sighed and looked off into the distance through the window behind Yuri. They both pause for a good five seconds.

Yuri: **"Do you have any more questions?"**

Otonashi shook his head. Yuri grunts, and then stands up. She pushes in her chair.

Yuri: **"In that case, this session is over"**

Otonashi nods and stands up.

Otonashi: (Bowing his head slightly to Yuri) **"Thank you so much for this. It really means a lot"**

Yuri: (Smiles) **"Don't mention it, lover boy!"**

Otonashi smiles, turns around and begins walking over to the door of the room.

19:30 – That Night…

Shiina's eyes slowly open and the lights of the room begin creeping through her vision. She sits up, no longer feeling the harsh pain she had felt earlier. She looks to her left and right, her bed in the middle of two other ones.

_I must be in the infirmary…_

She looked down at her clothing as well and noticed she was still in her regular clothes. Her shoes, socks, and leg guards all jumbled on a chair, doused lightly with blood. All of her weapons were wrapped in her scarf and rested against her bed. The clothes she wore also had crimson stains, but she took a deep breath in relief that they had kept her in her clothing, rather than to undress her.

Shiina lifted the covers from the rest of her body and sat on the side of her bed. She stepped off with her bare feet and walked over to the door and opened it. She looked into the hallway, but it was dark. She also realized it was not a corridor she had ever been to before. She became confused. She was sure she was rescued by Noda before completely losing consciousness.

_Where am I? This isn't HQ…_

She hesitantly stepped outside of the room, and into the hallway. She walked slowly down the corridor and looked around to spot anything out of the ordinary, considering she was somewhere she had no clue of. As she walked, she could hear footsteps near her, but there was no one near. She stopped and looked around, slightly startled. A small drip of swear formed on her right temple and she grit her teeth. She became slightly nervous. The footsteps stopped. She quickly turned her head in all directions, trying to spot someone or something, moving her hair out of the way so she could see clearly. No one was around. A small shiver ran through her body. She stood up straight and inhaled deeply to calm herself down.

_I must be going crazy…_

She looked down and noticed her feet had blood rushing down from her legs. Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in horror. A sharp pain engulfed her back, then numbness; she began to lose feeling in her lower extremities as her body fell to the ground in her own puddle of crimson. She couldn't move her legs. She became scared. Her mind began racing, not knowing what was happening.

_What is this! I can't move! What's happening?!_

She inhaled deeply to try giving a valiant effort to scream, but nothing would come out. She felt a harsh, choking encase her windpipe. She gasped for air and desperately clawed at the thing holding onto her neck.

Then a voice whispered to her in her ear, "Shiina…"

Shiina felt a cold and bone-thin hand holding her neck like a vice from behind her. She attempted to rotate her head left, catching a glimpse of a face. Her eyes widened again as the face became clear. She gasped for air, trying to scream.

A face; pale with black indentions where its eyes would be, a deathly smile with a pointed nose and long hair that covered much of its head.

It whispered to her once again, "Scream for me, Shiina"

Her vision went black.

…

Shiina sat up in her bed, screaming; eyes clenched, her hands in fists, pressing against the skin at the base of her neck. Noda and Takeyama suddenly awoke, startled by the girl's loud screaming. Noda jumped out of his bed and jumped onto Shiina's. He grabbed onto her arms and released them from her chest. He began struggling with her to calm her down.

Noda: (Struggling) **"Shiina! Shiina! Stop! It's a dream! Calm down! Stop!"**

Shiina opened her eyes and saw Noda's face inches in front of his. She stopped struggling, feeling her wrists encased by his grasp. Noda didn't realize it either, but he had his body almost completely against hers, using his legs to keep her lower body from flailing. Shiina was finally calm. She darts her eyes in many directions before realizing she was no longer in the nightmare.

Shiina: (Coming to reality) **"N… Noda!"**

She looked around and noticed that she was in the infirmary. Noda looked at her, and both of their eyes suddenly caught one another's. She suddenly realized where Noda was and the tips of her cheeks began to blush slightly. Noda was on top of her, holding onto her wrists and within inches of Shiina's face…

Takeyama looked at the both of them. They stayed in that same position for a good few moments, trying to take in what had just occurred. All Takeyama could muster up was just one word (if you could call it a word), "Uhh…"

Shiina: (Calm) **"Noda… Why are you on top of me?"**

Noda's face suddenly turned red with slight embarrassment. He quickly jumped off of her onto the floor. She looked at him. He looked away quickly.

Noda: **"Err… Sorry, I was only trying to keep you from going completely postal. You woke up screaming or something. You obviously had a bad dream"**

Shiina inspected everything in the room, also realizing that she was in a pair of her own pajamas. All articles of her clothing were on the chair in front of her bed: her uniform shirt and skirt, her scarf, shoes, socks, her wrist and leg guards, and her weapons, all resting on the chair, neatly folded and placed in an orderly fashion.


	7. Chapter 7: Love And War Skills

Author's notes:

I'm thankful for all of your constructive notes, guys, I really am. It's seriously giving me the will to keep going. I kid you not, I'm keeping my inspiration very much alive by re-watching the series again. I've done so twice already, and quite honestly, it's really hard for me to get over it haha! I love it! And about a comment I received a while ago... No, Hinata is NOT gay in here haha! I don't think he was gay in the anime either (I'm sure most of us don't think he was). I also apologize if I've slacked on my production rate slightly. I've been sort of busy, but rest assured, I'm still trying to think of ideas to keep this going. I hope you all have liked it so far! I'm hoping you all enjoy it as it progresses!

-Parahdoks

* * *

Chapter 7: Love And War Skills

09:15 AM

Takeyama's face glowed light blue, his eyes glued to the LCD screen of his laptop computer. Angel sat on the chair behind him in the conference room. Yuri watched the both of them from her 'throne' in the front of the room. The tapping of Takeyama's keys tipped and tapped loudly compared to the silence that held within the room.

Takeyama: **"Your guard skills should be ready now"**

Takeyama pressed the enter key once and the program was set. Angel nodded and stood. She held her right hand in front of her and spoke quietly, under her own breath, "Guard Skill: Hand Sonic". From her cuffs, far passing her right hand, the reality began to pixilate before their eyes. The pixilation formed into a cyan-ish silver blade. Kanade stared at the blade with a blank stare, as if she were unimpressed. Yet she was still very thankful towards Takeyama.

Angel: **"Thank you, Takeyama"**

Takeyama: **"Yes, well, it was just a matter of removing a small bug in the program"** (Pushes on the middle of his glasses lightly) **"By the way, how many times must I tell everybody to call me Christ?"**

Takeyama was slightly annoyed by the sound of his last notion. He packed up his laptop, placed it between his left arm and his body started for the door. He twisted the doorknob and opened the door. He looked up and was met by a taller individual with dark, blue hair. Hinata looked down at him and moved out of the way, allowing him to walk out of the room. He expected the short boy to say something along the lines of 'excuse me' or 'pardon', but nothing came out of his mouth. Takeyama walked along. He walked inside, not paying any mind to the short, bowl-haired teen, to which he's yet to even understand the kind of person he was.

Hinata noticed the shining blades penetrating from Angel's cuffs.

Hinata: **"Oh hey! You got your guard skills back!"**

Angel nods and gives a light smile.

Hinata: **"Maybe I'll get mine soon, hopefully"**

Angel cocked her head to the left, confused at what Hinata had said. Hinata was curious, also looking down at her, confused at why she seemed to question his statement in her head.

Angel: **"What do you mean?"**

Hinata: **"Oh, no one said anything to you?"**

Angel: (Shakes head) **"I do not believe so"**

Yuri: (Interrupting both of them) **"The idea was only merely suggested. Takeyama is supposed to be making preparations as soon as he finishes with Kanade's, but I think those preparations for Hinata's and Otonashi's augmented skills should be underway, hopefully within the next day or so"**

Angel: **"I see"** (Smiles; Speaks in monotonous and jokingly manner) **"I suppose it would be slightly easier for me as well"**

Yuri: **"Right you are. It would also keep you from being focused on in battles, like before…-"** (Stops herself)

Yuri hushes herself quickly, not thinking about how her short friend would react to mentioning the mission they failed a few weeks prior to this moment. Angel didn't seem to mind though. She kept her smile and nodded.

Angel: (Reassures Yuri) **"It's okay, Yuri. This is what mishaps from the past are for; so we may learn from them. How would we fortify ourselves if we do not apply them to our normal duties?"**

Yuri: (Smiles) **"Thank you, Kanade"**

Hinata glances at Yuri, then Angel. He smiles as well. The enthusiasm inside of him is bubbling from the idea of even being in the same league of power as Angel.

Hinata: **"When should we begin the operation?"**

Yuri: **"Patience, Hinata, your time will come"**

Hinata: **"This anxiety is just killing me! I'm going to go talk to Takeyama right now!"**

Hinata suddenly turns and bolts out the door.

Hinata: (Yelling out as he runs) **"Hey! Take'… Err… whatever your name is!"**

Takeyama: (Calling out from a distance, yelling) **"Call me Christ, you fool!"**

Yuri: (Rolling her eyes; face-palm)** "Impatient moron…"**

Angel: **"That's a very good idea though, giving everybody guard skills"**

Yuri: **"I knew you'd like it. There is one problem though…"**

Angel: **"What is it?"**

Yuri: **"We don't know how to duplicate skills for different people"**

Angel: **"I don't believe I understand what you are saying" **

Yuri: **"Takeyama already had Yui's file in the program since that first little trial we had a while ago with trying to get your skills back. Remember?"**

Angel: **"It's a little distant, but I do remember that. She stabbed the purple-haired guy you call 'moron' by accident"**

Yuri: **"Err… Yeah, that incident"** (Chuckles) **"That was kind of funny"** (Pauses, regaining her bearing) **"When he remade the file, he didn't delete the file he accidentally made for Yui. Her file had Hand Sonic on it already though. When he input your file into the program, he tried giving you Hand Sonic as a first skill"**

Angel: **"I remember now… My hand sonic wouldn't work. I remember he had to delete Yui's file to make mine work. I see what you mean now. Was that really the issue?"**

Yuri: **"We think so"**

Angel: **"You guys should let me take a look at the program. I might be able to help with your project"**

Yuri: **"I'll talk to Takeyama, because he's got the only computer with Angel Player on it. I didn't want to say anything because we wanted to keep it a surprise to you"**

Angel smiles and nods her head.

Angel: **"I am grateful"**

Yuri: **"Hopefully this will work. I will try getting Takeyama to give you a copy of the program to use so you can take a look at it"**

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Hinata was trying to find Takeyama.

Hinata: (Stops in his tracks, looking left and right to find the short kid) **"Takeyama… Where are-…"**

Hinata stops himself mid-sentence. He hears singing in a room near him. He slowly walks towards the singing and recognizes the voice immediately.

Hinata: (To himself) **"That's Yui's voice. But that's not the rehearsal room"**

**_ "Watashi wa kaze ni mimi o katamuke, soshite sore wa watashi ni anata no koe o hakonda. Watashi wa anata ga soko ni inakatta koto o kakunin suru tame ni watashi no me o mochiageta"_**

("I listened to the wind, and it carried your voice to me. I lifted my eyes to see that you were not there")

Hinata was stunned to hear her sing such depressing lyrics. He put his head down in shame, knowing who she was singing about. He became slightly depressed, remembering a few events preceding the present.

Hinata: **"I'm such an idiot!"**

The singing stopped. Hinata perked his head up, knowing he had accidentally said that out loud.

Hinata: (To himself) **"Oh crap! Did she hear me?"**

The door creaked open slowly. A short girl with pink, twin-pigtailed hair poked her head past the doorway. She noticed it was Hinata and was taken aback. Hinata was also sort of startled, despite knowing it was her. He rubbed the back of his head and attempted not making eye-contact.

Hinata: (Hesitantly) **"Oh, uh… H- Hi, Yui… How have you been?"**

Yui: (Seemingly low-toned, sort of depressingly) **"Can I help you, Hideki? I'm working on a song you know… Unlike someone I'm staring at, all of us actually have stuff to do, ya know!"**

Hinata: **"Oh come on, Yui, don't be like that, please"**

Yui: **"Why shouldn't I? You practically told me that I was useless!"**

Hinata: **"What? Come on, I thought you'd understand that what I said was completely unintentional! I didn't mean it like that…"**

Yui: **"Then how did you mean it, enlighten me, please!"**

Hinata tries to speak, but hesitates.

Yui: **"Waiting…"**

Hinata: **"Yui, you need to understand where I am trying to come from with this… I just didn't want to see you injured is all"**

Yui: **"So you said I couldn't fight?!"**

Hinata: **"That's wrong. I never meant it like that…"**

Yui stepped completely outside of her room, steamed and ready to let off a load of anger on Hinata. He didn't budge. He kept his bearing, despite how her anger and partially-false accusations bothered him. They both could hear doors creak open all around them from their peers' rooms. People were definitely watching, but Hinata nor Yui paid any mind to the eavesdroppers.

Yui: **"No, you are wrong, Hideki! You said, and I quote: 'Yui is just a girl, she can't fight! Why would you target her like that?' You completely undermined and humiliated me!"**

Hinata gasped slightly, backing up one step, regaining a very detailed flashback of an event that occurred a week ago, while they were stuck in that house.

Yui was held by two individuals by both of her arms. Hinata knew they were going to hurt her. He was was angry and began speaking to defend her.

_"Yui's just a girl, she can't fight! Why would you target her like that? Pick on me instead, not her! She can't do anything to you guys, so why would you pick on her?!"_

Hinata could remember in the flashback that Yui was depressed the entire time, up until she saw Otonashi for the first time in two and a half years in that dreaded attic.

Hinata: (To himself, whispering) **"I can't believe I said that…"**

Yui looked at him, lightening her glare slightly, curious at what he just said.

Yui: **"What was that?"**

Hinata paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment.

Hinata: **"Yui, please understand, I didn't mean it like that, I swear…"**

Yui: **"Then how did you mean it?"**

Hinata: **"I didn't want to see you hurt… I couldn't bare seeing you hurt. I wanted to take the pain for you"**

Yui's memory banks also began reeling through her head like a movie. She could remember after exchanging those words with those men, they took him instead of her. Yui could also remember the painful yells and screams Hinata had made after they took him.

Hinata: (Sincere) **"Yui, please, let's just put this behind us…"**

Yui: **"But you seriously said that I was weak! You humiliated me!"**

Hinata: **"But I said that in defense of your well-being!"**

The both of them grew silent for a moment.

Hinata: **"Yui, you know that I'd do anything to defend you. Please, let this anger go… I miss you a lot. You know I didn't mean to say it like that… You of all people should know I have confidence in you…"**

Yui: (Looking up at him, removing her angry glare) **"Do you really?"**

Hinata smiles and nods at her.

Hinata: **"I'm really sorry if I hurt you like that though. I just care way too much for you to see you hurt like that. I can't stand it… I can't bear it. Do you understand what I am saying, Yui?"**

Yui: (Putting her hands on her hips, looking away from Hinata) **"Oh, I understand alright, fine… But what I didn't understand were three words that you didn't say..."** (Suddenly gesturing a sudden innocent pose) **"Can you maybe... refresh my mind what those three little words are?"**

Hinata gasped lightly and jerked back, knowing full well what she wanted him to say. He remembered the doors were open, and that his own peers were watching. He could recognize their faces and eyes peeking through their doors. Noda's, TK's, Sekine's, and Takematsu's in particular. Hinata hesitated.

Yui: **"Well? I'm waiting..."**

Hinata looked away, squinting his eyes in a slightly humiliated manner. He could hear slight chuckles in the background. Yui crossed her arms and stared evily, smiling at Hinata. He looked down and spoke three different syllables that were incomprehensible.

Yui: (Putting her hand to her ears, trying to listen to what he was saying) **"What was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of your whiny, pansy-ass voice…"**

Hinata: (Becoming flustered) **"Grrr…"** (Accumulating some anger within)** "I LOVE YOU, YUI!"**

Hinata's voice resonated throughout the entire HQ. Angel stuck her head outside of the door of the conference room, Otonashi paused and stared at the hallway from the kitchen where he was making breakfast, and Chaa, who was two miles away and underground, raised his head, sensing a "disturbance" in an ally's manhood.

~Meanwhile at the SSS Guild…

Guild Worker: **"Is everything alright, Chaa?"**

Chaa: **"What? Oh, yea, I just got a weird feeling… That's all"**

~Back at HQ

Hinata realized how loud he yelled that last comment out and put his hands over his mouth, with his eyes growing, and pupils shrinking to the size of pins. Yui was overexcited and dashed towards him. Everyone who stared from their rooms tried keeping in their laughter. Yui suddenly glomps Hinata and they both fall to the ground. Yui embraces him, latching onto Hinata's body like a vice.

Yui: **"I love you, too, Hideki! My sweet love!"**

Hinata: (Rambling on in a fast-worded pace, stuttering over his words) **"No, no! Get off! No, Yui! Stop! Wait! No! I need air! Gah! I'm sorry!**

Yui ignores his pleas. She rambles on about how much she loves him, etc… He rambles on asking her to release him continuously, the center of attention of the individuals laughing at him from their rooms. Yui suddenly stops talking. She sits up. Hinata realizes that he was on the ground, and Yui sat on his body, more precisely, on his lap, as he lay at the mercy of his short girlfriend. Yui stares down at him seductively. Hinata stops and lightly gasps. His eyes grow and he becomes nervous. Yui grabs a hold of both of his arms and pins them to the ground, causing her to lean forward, even closer to Hinata. Her body touching his body just barely, still sitting on his lap, legs pinning him down on both sides of his waist.

Hinata: (Panicking) **"Yui! Wait! We're in public! Oh dear god!** (Whispering in a panicking manner) **"Everyone's watching, Yui!"**

Yui ignored him. Hinata knew it was coming. He tries resisting, but something told his head to keep still. Yui stares at him seductively, her eyes half-open, and leaning forward to get closer to him. She puckers her lips. Hinata cannot move (or rather, truthfully didn't want to move). In what seemed like an eternal frame of time, she finally nails a kiss on Hinata's lips. Everyone's eyes are seen growing in shock.

From his own room, Noda backs away from his door in a small amount of shock.

Noda: **"Oh man! This has gone too far! I have to help him! This is a complete compromise of Hinata's manhood!"**

Noda makes a quick move to grabbing his halberd. In a panic-type mode, he bends down to pick up his weapon of choice. Suddenly, his forehead is met by the corner of his bed-post, and suddenly, he is knocked down, staring at the stars.

Yui released her lips from Hinata's, causing a noticeable sound of suction between the both of them. Hinata by now has succumbed to the short girl's seductive spell. She closes her eyes, gives a large smile and hugs him, while still on the ground. Hinata's eyes by now are twisting from that last kiss he had just received, completely mesmerized.

Yuri: **"What's going on here?"**

Yuri suddenly walks into the same hallway and stops at the corner, where she could see the both of them. She stops and her eyes grow. Taken aback, Yuri becomes nervous, wondering what was happening, or wondering if she even wanted to know what was happening.

Yuri: **"What the hell?!"**

Hinata comes to and realizes that Yuri had eyes on the couple. He becomes abashed and gasps.

Hinata: **"Yuri! It's… Not what you think! We're just…"**

Yuri: **"Umm… I don't know what's happening, and I don't think I want to know. There are rooms to your left… And there are rooms to your right"**

Suddenly, a voice is heard from one of the doors to Hinata's right.

Sekine: **"Sorry, this room is occupied!"**

Hinata: **"Hey! Were you watching us the whole time?!"**

Sekine: **"Tee hee!"** (Shuts door)

Hinata: **"Why that little…"**

Yuri: **"Ahem!"**

Hinata is startled by Yuri clearing her throat.

Yuri: **"Hinata, you might need to take your girlfriend into your room… I think you both have some things you need to get out… And I don't mean your aggressions either"**

Hinata's face turns bright pink, and is 100% embarrassed.

Yui: **"Hmm… I wonder…"**

Hinata: **"WHAT?! DON'T LISTEN TO YURI!"**

Yuri walks away. Sekine and Noda both aren't seen staring through their doors anymore. Hinata is slightly more at ease. Yui releases Hinata's arms and gets up off of his body. She shifts herself over to the left of the hallway, sits on the floor, resting her back against the wall. Hinata sits up, looking at Yui, who stared at the end of the hallway at nothing. Her smile suddenly turned into a melancholy stare. Hinata knew something had to be wrong. He moved over towards Yui and sat to her left, also resting his back on the wall. They both sat silent for a few seconds.

Yui: **"Hey, Hinata…"**

Hinata: **"What is it?"**

Yui: **"I know it was such a long time ago, but…"** (Takes a deep breath and sighs) **"Were you sad when I left?"**

Hinata could recall an even that happened when they all still attended the afterlife school. He could feel the depressed feeling seep into himself from Yui's demeanor. He still remembered clearly.

Hinata: **"We missed you. It was pretty different not having you around. GlDeMo was sure not the same either. They disappeared soon after you did, too. It was bittersweet. We were not happy that you or Iwasawa were gone, but we knew the both of you would be okay. After we all left, we realized, everyone was fine as we suspected. Maybe not in a different life, but nonetheless, it was a happy reunion"**

Yui slid her body to the left, leaning her head onto Hinata's shoulders. He chuckled.

Hinata: **"Why do you ask by the way?"**

Yui: **"Because I wanted to know if you missed me"**

Hinata: **"Of course I did. I missed everything about you…"**

Yui: **"You made me the happiest girl in the world when you said all of that back then"**

Hinata: **"What?"**

Yui: **"Remember? You honestly got me to believe I would have been all yours if we met in the world of the living"**

Hinata: **"Oh, that… I remember now…"** (Pauses and thinks) **"Yeah… I do remember… I told you that if we ever met, that I'd fall in love with you and eventually marry you"**

Yui: (Looks up at Hinata sincerely) **"Thank you, Hinata"**

Hinata tries extending herself upwards towards Hinata's face and kisses him on the cheek. She then rests her head on his shoulder. Hinata puts an arm behind her back and embraces her. They both smile and close their eyes.

Hinata:** "I love you, Yui"**

Yui: **"I love you, too, Hideki"**

* * *

12:30 PM – Middle of the Day

* * *

Otonashi arrives at Takeyama's door. He knocks twice on it.

Otonashi: **"Hey, Takeyama, I'm here. You needed to see me?"**

The door opens. The short, bowl-haired kid moves away from the doorway and allows him inside. At Takeyama's desk, Angel was on his laptop working on the Angel Player program. Takeyama shuts the door behind him.

Angel: **"Yuzuru… I need to you to try activating a skill"**

Otonashi smiles in news that he may actually be receiving a guard skill.

Otonashi: **"Sure! What is it?"**

Angel: **"Can you try activating a skill called 'shockwave'?"**

Otonashi became puzzled. It was a skill he's never heard of. He gave an odd look then shrugged his shoulders.

Otonashi: (Closing his eyes; Murmuring) **"Guard skill… Shockwave"**

They all waited a few moments. Otonashi opened one eye to see if anything happened. He looked at his hands and legs. Nothing occurred. Otonashi slapped his palm on his face.

Angel: **"That won't work"**

Otonashi: **"I think we've established that, Kanade…"**

Takeyama: **"That's not what she means. The skills we've augmented into you and the skills that are augmented into Angel are two completely different skills. The skills both of you have are meant for two completely different uses"**

Otonashi: **"That doesn't really explain to me how to activate them…"**

Takeyama: **"I'm getting to that"** (Pauses, clearing his throat) **"Instead of using the prefix 'guard skill', you use something else. Your skills aren't mean to defend. For some reason we weren't able to augment defensive skills to you"**

Otonashi: **"So wait, you're telling me that I'm an attacker?"**

Takeyama: **"More or less, that's correct"**

Angel: **"Like he said, we weren't able to give you guard skills. Every time we made an attempt to give them to you, your file would just delete it. It was as if your body itself declined it. The conditions of which we were giving you the skills on the program were right. It's just that it wouldn't allow us to augment. For two hours, we tried to figure out what to do. You obviously weren't meant to have guard skills. But then something hit us"**

Angel recalls an event that occurred just under an hour ago when she passed by a room with TK and Noda playing a video game.

~Flashback to an hour ago…

_Noda:__**"I'm gonna get you! Stop moving! You're not getting away! I've been on guard the entire time! I have the offensive now!"**_

_TK:__**"Crazy game! Big winner, big winner, go!"**_

_Noda:__**"DAMMIT!"**_

~Back to reality…

Angel: **"So instead of giving you defensive skills, why not give you skills that were meant to be used to attacking?"**

Otonashi: **"That's ridiculous… but at the same time, brilliant…"**

Angel: **"Instead of using the words 'guard skill', I need you to use the words 'war skill'. Use the skill shockwave**"

Otonashi smiles and nods his head once. He closes his eyes.

Otonashi: (Below his breath) **"War Skill… Shockwave…"**

Suddenly, the lights in the room flicker. The floor emits a strange static. Angel and Takeyama are suddenly zapped. Both of them are startled by the skill slightly. Angel gives a slight yelp, and is knocked back a couple of feet. Takeyama does the same, except he is backed against the wall. All of the knick-knacks on the furniture are knocked around. The skill ends its duration and everything goes back to normal.

Otonashi: (Looks at hands) **"Whoa… What did I just do…?"**

Takeyama: **"Angel, I know you mean well, and I do respect your ideas, but next time, instead of using my room, we should use yours instead"**

Angel: **"I apologize, Takeyama"**

Takeyama: (Facepalm) **"Call me Chr… Aw, forget it"**


	8. Chapter 8: Getting Started

Author's Notes To The Readers:

Again, I can't thank all of you enough for giving me the morale and the necessary constructive criticism. The only thing I wish I could do is somehow gain the skills to create the actual animation haha! If only, if only… I digress though; I have taken your suggestions into consideration from both comments and PM's. And again, I apologize for not being on top of my production timing (work has a heavy presence in my reality), however I reassure you that this story will not end for a little while, hopefully.

Again, I am open to some constructive criticism, suggestions, opinions, facts, and of course your honesty. If you do not like it, I hope I can find out what I can do to maybe patch up a few of the problems that you all might see (even in past chapters). Though I can only hope I've done everything I can to gain your interest in the story and make it appealing to everyone who reads it.

Changes made to last chapter: I changed it to where Yui calls him Hideki, rather than Hinata. Few punctuation changes have been made also.

* * *

Chapter 8: Getting Started

* * *

13:30 (1:30 PM)

Hisako: (In slight shock) **"You want us to what?!"**

Yuri: (Crossing her arms and nodding) **"Yes, I need GlDeMo for this operation"**

Yuri sat at her desk, before her diversion unit (or the group's personal band) Girls Dead Monster: Iwasawa, Hisako, Irie, Sekine, and Yui. Everyone in the band except Iwasawa seemed to be troubled in their composure, trying to comprehend what Yuri was favoring from them.

Iwasawa: (Calm) **"So what you're saying is you want us to perform and risk compromising us?"**

Yuri stands up from her chair, walks slowly over to the front of the window and looks out of it, at some of the members of the SSS who were just messing around, socializing in the courtyard.

Yuri: **"With every operation, there comes a risk. How about a little trust in me though? Can you honestly say that I've failed you all before?" **

Hisako: **"I won't deny that you have yet to fail us as a leader, and you've taken decent care of us… In your own little interesting way, I might add… But isn't this a little extreme?"**

Yuri: **"There's a method to the madness, girls"**

Iwasawa: **"So let's go over this once more…"**

Yuri smacks her palm on her forehead and shuts her eyes in frustration.

Yuri: **"It's simple…"** (Regaining her composure) **"At around 9 o'clock tonight, GlDeMo will perform a concert for the masses. The concert will attract a mass of people, or spirits. It will also intrigue other 'less than good people' to the crowd. We'll have physical security, but a low profile one, so we're not detectable. When they try to strike, after they realize your patches are from Class SSS, the security teams will counter them"**

Yui: (Excited, speaking in a fast pace) **"Oh my gosh, this is so cool! It's like a secret mission! We can all dress in suits when we perform and stuff; have some awesome masks and everything like that!"**

Sekine: **"Silly! That would defeat the purpose of having the enemy know it is us!"**

Yui: **"Oh, you're right…"** (Pauses) **"We can still wear masks though!"**

Hisako quickly strikes Yui on the top of her head. Yui gave a slight yelp and held her hands where she was hit.

Yui: (In little pain) **"Ouch! That hurt!"** (Crossing arms and speaking below her breath) **"Meanie…"**

Iwasawa: **"You might need to give us a lot of time to practice. We really haven't as much. This is our first performance we've done in the past few years. It's really been a while"**

Hisako: **"So I guess we're doing it then?"**

Iwasawa: **"It sounds like a solid plan. I trust Yuri"**

Irie: (Timid and quiet) **"I trust Yurippe, too, Iwasawa, but what about the others?"**

Yuri:** "Oh, don't worry about that! They'll do fine. I know they won't fail. They already know what's at stake if it does happen… Which it won't"**

Yui: **"It's true! They just gave Otonashi guard skills, so we have some secret weapons up our sleeve!"**

Iwasawa: **"Wait, what? You mean those powers Angel has?"**

Yuri: **"He doesn't have guard skills, Yui…"** (Pauses) **"…he has war skills"**

Iwasawa:** "I don't think I have an understanding of what you both are saying"**

Yuri: **"Just know that you all are safe. Don't worry! Just get some practice, be ready by tonight, and get ready to melt some faces with your music"**

Iwasawa: **"Alright, Yuri, but I'm trusting you!"**

Yuri: **"Thanks, girls!"**

As all five girls turn around and walk towards the door, Iwasawa turns her head to Yuri.

Iwasawa: **"If you need us, we'll be practicing in the basement"**

Yuri smiles at her and the band of girls exit the room.

* * *

~ 13:45 SSS HQ Courtyard: Angel, Otonashi, Hinata, and Takeyama…

* * *

Takeyama: (Typing away at his keyboard, inputting information into Angel Player) **"Your role isn't as, how would I put this… Exciting as Angel's or Otonashi's, but nonetheless, it's something you may be interested in"**

Angel: (Smiles lightly) **"It's definitely helpful"**

Takeyama puts aside his laptop and grins evily.

Takeyama: **"Hey, Otonashi, can you look over at that flower real quick next to you?"**

Otonashi gives a confused stare. He raises an eyebrow and shrugs.

Otonashi: **"I have no clue why you need me to do such an odd thing, but okay…"**

Otonashi slowly turns and looks closely at the flower down near where he is standing. Takeyama slowly uncovers an M92 Beretta pistol from his pocket and slowly aims it at Otonashi. Angel gasps lightly, but it's too late to do anything.

Hinata: (Yelling) **"Takeyama, what the hell are you…!"**

And suddenly, he is interrupted by a loud 'bang', followed by a yell made by the innocent, orange-haired boy. Otonashi falls, gripping his wounded left thigh.

Otonashi: (Yelling painfully) **"AH! WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! THAT H-HURT!"**

Takeyama stopped grinning. Everyone was too shocked to even comprehend what had just occurred, but only watched Otonashi squirm in pain, watching the blood leak like a lightly-turned faucet.

Takeyama: (Calm, fixing his glasses) **"Now… Hinata"**

Hinata becomes angry, but tends to his friend, who was clearly shot. Angel stares at both Hinata and Otonashi, not doing a single thing.

Hinata:** "What the hell was that for, dude?! You want to kill him or something?!"**

Takeyama: **"Of course not, but I need you to tend to the wound"**

Hinata: **"Oh, yeah! Totally, jackass! The wound that YOU caused?!"**

Takeyama: **"Now if you would stop your slightly intolerable whining, you can assist his wound without the need of synthetic first aids"**

Angel: (Calm) **"Takeyama and I have prepared skills, Hinata, for you" **

Hinata: (Gives a surprised look) **"Guard skills?!"**

Angel: (Nods) **"Mhm… Ones that would help us out in a tight situation. I need you to test a guard skill on Otonashi"**

Otonashi: (Yelling) **"WHY WOULD YOU ALL PICK ME?!"**

Angel: **"You were the target of opportunity. We are simulating you getting shot in the leg by an enemy"**

Otonashi: **"BUT I DID GET SHOT!"**

Angel: **"Hinata, I need you to use the word of execution, 'alleviate' "**

Hinata: **"Umm… Okay"** (Looks down at Otonashi's wound) **"Guard Skill: Alleviate"**

Hinata looks down at his palms. They begin to emit a slight, cyan-ish pixel-like glow.

Takeyama: **"Do not touch the wound, but hover your hands over it. It should lessen the pain and remove the foreign object that caused the wound in the first place"**

Hinata does as he is instructed. The pixilation from Hinata's palms begins to coat the wound. The bleeding stops and the small, metal projectile is seen slowly exiting the wound. Otonashi and Hinata both stare in amazement.

Otonashi: (Surprised) **"That's amazing! The pain… It's gone!"**

Angel: **"Alleviate is a healing skill. It works on any flesh wound, whether it is caused by slashing, guns, or even small cuts. It's a very useful skill that could be extremely viable in the heat of battle"**

Otonashi's wound completely heals. Hinata takes his hands away from where the wound was and allows the pixilated aura to dissipate. Otonashi stands up and looks down at his leg. He stomps to make sure it's okay.

Otonashi: **"You guys are geniuses!"**

Hinata: **"I love it! Thanks Angel and Takeyama!"**

Takeyama: (Sighs) **"…It's Christ"**

Hinata: **"I do have one question though…"**

Angel: **"What would that be?"**

Hinata: **"Does it work for any type of trauma one may incur? Maybe if someone were to hit their head and become incapacitated"**

Angel utters a few quiet words under her breath. From her cuffs, a large, blunt object appears in the shape of a giant flower.

Angel: **"This could be tested…"**

Otonashi's eyes grow large and he becomes worried.

Otonashi: (Trying to reassure them) **"No no no… I think if it's a healing skill… We don't need to be rash. Let's assume it works… I don't think I feel like going into a head-trauma-induced coma right now… Or at least try it on someone more willing"**

Angel: (Allowing her Hand Sonic version 4 to dissipate) **"Fair enough"**

* * *

~Down in the SSS HQ Basement: GlDeMo practices their music…

* * *

(Duet) Yui + Iwasawa: (Singing last part of Thousand Enemies) "**saa sa susumou ikutsumono kakehashi itsumademo issho dakara koibito no you ni natsu no hizashi atsuku temo hanarezu iru ne kitto sakini soudai na keshiki ga matsu yo sonotoki wa tamatte ita sono kimochi zenbu kiite yaru  
atashi mo motteru kimi ni mo kikasu tappuri kikasu"**

("Come on, let's move ahead across any number of bridges..We'll always be together like lovers..So even if the summer sun's rays are hot, we won't be apart..I'm sure that just ahead, a magnificent landscape awaits..When that time comes, I'll listen to all of those feelings you've gathered..I have those too. I'll tell you about them, too. I'll tell them all to you")

As the final moments of the song come through the large amplifiers, the lead guitarist (Hisako) breaks down the song on its final seconds with a complex rift that she's not played in probably months. The sounds finally die down. Iwasawa smiles and takes a deep breath.

Iwasawa: **"It's been a while, so of course it will be imperfect. However it's good"**

All of the girls smile.

Iwasawa: **"Yui, what song do you think should be next?"**

Yui: (Thinking hard) **"Hmm… That is a good question!"**

Yui puts her hand on her chin and thinks hard about which song she wanted. Of course, in the back of her mind, every single fiber of her being wanted to say that one three-syllable titled song. But she played it off, acting as if it were no big deal. I mean, she is a vocalist for her favorite band… What girl wouldn't want to sing her favorite song with her favorite band, which she was a part of.

Yui: **"How about Alchemy?"**

Irie: **"I don't think we've touched that song in months"**

Sekine: **"It could use some work. I agree with it!"**

Iwasawa: **"All of our songs could use some work…"**

Everyone except Iwasawa gives a slight grunt of dissatisfaction, knowing their performance would be tonight. There was very limited time to even perfect their performance.

Iwasawa: **"But Alchemy is a good start"** (Brings her guitar up, ready to play) **"We'll take five after this"**

Yui suddenly brings her head up with a bright smile. Iwasawa purposely creates a feedback sound and begins to strum the first chords of the song.

* * *

~Outside in the courtyard… Hinata, Takeyama, Noda, Otonashi, Angel, Fujimaki…

* * *

Takeyama: **"This will be a good opportunity for you all to practice your skills. Otonashi, you and Hinata will be facing these two guys"** (Points at Fujimaki and Noda)

Both Hinata and Otonashi give the look of shock, as if they knew they were going to die in an instant as soon as this match commenced.

Otonashi: (Yelling) **"Are you freaking kidding me?! They'll maul the hell out of us!"**

Hinata: (Yelling) **"I don't even have any offensive skills!"**

Both of them thought of pairs of people they could face. Still, any combination of any of them seemed scary to the both of them. This was no easy pair, but they knew they'd eventually have to face them. Noda and Fujimaki approached forward. Both of them brandished their weapons. Fujimaki unsheathed his sword, while Noda spun his halberd around.

Otonashi and Hinata both stepped back and glared at their opponents. Suddenly without warning, both Fujimaki and Noda dashed forward, weapons leading their momentum. Otonashi and Hinata both held their ground.

Hinata: **"Guard Skill, Boundary!"**

Suddenly, as Hinata held out his hands, a large, pixilated wall formed before their eyes. Both determined opponents smashed their weapons against the pixilated aura, creating a loud, metallic smack that gave even them a shock from the amount of force they put behind their weapons.

Otonashi: **"War Skill, Prismatic Shot!"**

Otonashi dove to the right just past the barrier, balling his fists. He kneels down at the end of the barrier where he exposed himself and aims his fist at one of the fighters. Suddenly, a red, pixilated aura forms around his wrists and a clear, sharp object fires from the air around his hands. One of the prisms impales Noda in the stomach. Noda gives a loud grunt, coughing up some blood. Otonashi readies his other shot and aims it at Fujimaki, firing it immediately. Fujimaki dives to the left, dodging the prismatic projectile and getting closer to Otonashi.

Hinata dissipates his own barrier and dives at Otonashi to move him out of the way. Fujimaki dashes at the orange-haired boy and attempts to make a slash at him. Hinata makes it just in time to save him. Noda stands up, gripping at the area on his stomach where a clear projectile was, but now only exists a bloody hole.

Noda quickly slashes at Otonashi, catching him on his side just barely nicking him, ripping his top at his side.

Otonashi: **"Whoa! So close!"**

Otonashi dodges another hit. Otonashi looks over at Hinata, who seemed to be open. But their opponents knew their strategy now. Otonashi still had a card up his sleeve though.

Otonashi: **"Hinata, cover yourself!"**

Hinata: (Nodding) **"Guard skill, boundary!"**

A pixilated barrier covers Hinata completely. Otonashi is separated from his friend, and faces two of the people within the SSS who he knew hated him. But that was no big deal, at least not anymore. Otonashi readies himself. Both opponents dash at Otonashi.

Otonashi: (Flinching) **"War skill, shockwave!"**

As Otonashi summons the powerful war skill, he is impaled by two blades wielded by the opposing fighters. Otonashi wasn't finished though. A flash is seen from below Otonashi's feet, and the reality around him begins to bend and twist. Suddenly, as if matter formed from the air around, the two boys are tossed away from Otonashi at such a high velocity, that causes them to become incapacitated from the impact of the force that Otonashi had just released on them. But they did not have their weapons, for their blades were still sheathed within Otonashi's body, which fell down to the ground, bleeding profusely. Otonashi was defeated, also incapacitated, but at the same time victorious.

You could say Otonashi was no longer useless in battle. He had a powerful skill. Despite only having two that were very limited to his use, they were still powerful, and they would serve him a purpose within the SSS, despite him already being a valuable member.

Hinata dissipated his barrier.

Hinata: **"Otonashi!"**

* * *

17:30 (5:30 PM) In the Infirmary…

* * *

Otonashi opens his eyes. He quickly sits up, gasping for air, quickly grabbing hold of his abdomen and chest with his hands. He looks over himself to make sure he was alright.

Otonashi: (Yelling) **"Ah! What the hell?! What?"** (Regaining composure, becoming calm) **"What the hell happened? That hurt like hell…"**

Yuri: **"You were incapacitated"**

Otonashi: **"And Hinata didn't bother to help me?!"**

Angel: **"He did try, but you wouldn't come to. You were in a coma for two weeks, Yuzuru…"**

Otonashi: (Hysterically yelling) **"TWO WEEKS?! WHAT?!"**

Yuri: **"She was joking. Take it easy…"**

Otonashi looks at Angel with a slight humorous glare. She doesn't do anything. She cocks her head to the left without even cracking a smile. Her monotonous stare only provokes Otonashi even more.

Otonashi: **"You tell a joke, yet you yourself don't even think it's funny…"**

Angel: **"If I'm the one telling the joke, why would I be laughing?"**

Otonashi: **"Because it was a joke, right?!"**

Angel: **"But it was funny wasn't it?"**

Otonashi realizes that he cannot reason with her and only smacks his palm on his forehead.

Otonashi: **"So what happened to me? I take it that 'moron' and Fujimaki kicked my ass?"**

Yuri: **"Actually, no. You struck the winning blow to both of them with that shockwave. I saw the entire thing from my window. It was pretty impressive, I'll admit"**

Otonashi: **"But they killed me, didn't they? Wouldn't that mean I lost?"**

Angel: **"That is not the case though. They did not kill you"**

Otonashi: **"What are you talking about? They completely slices the hell out of me… I had two blades stuck in my body last I remember…"**

Angel: **"You caused your death with your war skill"**

Otonashi: (Surprised) **"What the hell?"**

Angel: **"Yes… When you saw that your life was in danger, when you activated your shockwave, your body naturally summoned it to its peak. The shock knocked all of you out, excluding Hinata. Had you survived your own hit, you would have probably lived for about two more minutes"**

Otonashi looked at Angel in slight amazement. He had no idea how powerful his war skills could be. He looked down at his hands.

Otonashi: (Calm and sort of melancholic) **"You know… I find this very ironic…"**

Angel cocked her head to the left, wondering why he seemed to question this reality.

Otonashi: **"When I was alive, I had no desire for power. I never wanted to hurt anyone… My dream was to become a doctor; to help people and save lives…"**

Yuri: **"Sometimes fate has other plans for us, I guess. If we had the decision, we'd switch your skills with Hinata, but unfortunately, you're the only one we've tested with that's able to have war skills. Only a few of you guys are able to even control Angel Player like Kanade. You, Hinata, and Yui… Everyone was incompatible for some reason…"**

Otonashi stares into space, deep in thought.

Otonashi **"This is so confusing…"**

Yuri: (Smiles and shrugs) **"Yeah, well… Hurry and get yourself dressed. We're about to go see GlDeMo in action. Operation 'Getting Started' is going to begin tonight. Bring your A-Game!"**

Otonashi smiles and gives a light nod. He was actually going to witness Girls Dead Monster play for the first time in two and a half years!


	9. Chapter 9: Looking for Trouble

Chapter 9: Looking for Trouble

* * *

21:30 (9:30 PM)

The lights are dimmed; the mass of people begin gathering in front of a black platform in the middle of the city square. People watched in awe as a silhouette of five girls stood in front of them on the elevated floor, covered by a dimmed, black light that lightly transitioned to other dark colors slowly: Iwasawa, Yui, Hisako, Irie, and Sekine.

Iwasawa raised her hand, which shrouded in shadows, holding a pick with her index finger and thumb. She held it in the air for a few moments. Suddenly, there were four taps on the cymbals of the drum set, followed by loud rolls of Irie's snare drums. Iwasawa's hand suddenly down-stroked the strings of her guitar, and created a wave of sound that pulled cheers from the large group of people who watched them.

Iwasawa sang:

**_"Haigo ni wa shatta ano kabe. Yubisaki wa tetsu no nioi. Susume hajike dono michi komu desho…. Find a way koko kara! Found out Mitsukeru! Rock o kanadero! Tooku o misuero! Ikitsugi sae dekinai machi no naka…"_**

Even members of the SSS had blood excitingly pumping through their veins, all except Yuri, who looked around patiently from the middle of the crowd, trying to find anyone suspicious. Otonashi and Angel stood-by behind the stage platform, waiting for something to happen. They both watched from behind, enjoying the concert, even though all they could see was Irie's rear end for the most part, considering how far back her drums were. Angel saw an opportunity and had to take it. The very end of her mouth cracked a light smile. She looked at Otonashi. She joked, while keeping a well-mannered posture.

Angel: **"Yuzuru, don't get any ideas, mister"** (Points at Irie's rear end, which sat in a small drum-set stool a couple of meters in front of them)

Otonashi immediately became bashful, his face turning a couple shades of pink.

Otonashi: **"I wasn't even looking at her! Why do you have to point it out like that?!"**

Angel: **"I'm joking, Yuzuru"** (Covers her mouth with one hand, chuckling lightly)

Otonashi smiled at her.

Otonashi: (Almost hypnotized by her smile) **"You have the most beautiful smile, Kanade…"**

Kanade couldn't help but to attempt covering her face even more, breaking eye contact with Otonashi, smiling even more. She became bashful, but was very flattered by the compliment.

Otonashi: **"You're a very complex girl, you know? You're one of the most upfront people I know, and yet a very modest girl. I think it's adorable"**

Angel uncovered her face and looked up at her boyfriend, smiling. She hugged him and dug her face into his chest. He embraced her as well. Angel suddenly began laughing. Otonashi couldn't help but to laugh as well.

Otonashi: (Laughing) **"What's so funny?"**

Angel looks up into his eyes and smiles. Otonashi's heart jumps at the gaze of her seemingly hypnotic stare. He felt warmness in his soul that tickled the very core of his being, which caused him to hold her more tightly.

Angel: **"I'm just so happy!"**

The music drowned out for Otonashi. The sound of his ribs being slammed by his heart echoed through his ears and body. Suddenly, as if Angel knew his very desire, she closed her eyes, and he did as well. He slightly hunched down, and she stood up on her tip-toes, both of them still holding onto each other as if they were their only life-lines, and their lips met. The music no longer even flowed into their ears. The world to them didn't even exist at this one moment. They both had everything they ever wanted: each other.

Irie looked back as she played her drums and noticed the both of them exchanging a kiss. She smiled and turned forward to continue playing.

Yuri looked around, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. She takes out her radio and begins to talk into it.

Yuri: **"Squad A, are you all settled into your positions?"**

TK could be heard uttering a few incomprehensible words.

Ooyama (through Yuri's radio): (To TK) "**Hold on, TK, geez!"** (To Yuri) **"Yeah, we're fine. Cocked, locked, loaded, and ready to kill… or incapacitate"**

Yuri: (Into her radio) **"That's interesting hearing that from you, Ooyama…"** (Pauses) **"Squad B, what about you?"**

Noda (through Yuri's radio): **"The ninja girl is just watching the road. I'm looking in the crowd"** (Pauses)** "Oh hey! I see you! Hey, Yurippe! Lookie here!"**

Yuri smacks her palm on her forehead.

Yuri: **"Moron…"** (Gaining back bearing; Speaks into her radio) **"Alright, everybody, be ready for when they attack"**

Yuri tries pushing herself through the small opened areas within the crowd, struggling to exit the growing festivity. After a minute of pushing and shoving, she finally inches herself out without harm.

Yusa (through Yuri's radio): **"Yurippe, the girls are already on their second song…"**

Yuri becomes slightly annoyed.

Yuri: (Speaking into her radio) **"Just have them keep playing"**

Hisako begins strumming as Irie plays a steady drum beat, quickly escalating to a higher-paced song. Sekine begins playing a bass solo. The crowd begins cheering loudly. Iwasawa moves out of the way and pulls Yui to the front of the microphone. Yui looks at Iwasawa, confused as what was happening; a large smile begins to grow on her face. Yui takes the stage as the lead vocalist for the first time in front of Iwasawa.

**_"Fukigen sou na kimi to sugoshite. Wakatta koto ga hitotsu aru yo. Sonna furi shite tatakau koto ni hisshi…._**

**_Itsumademo kaenai de koori no you ni! Natsu no hizashi atsuku temo tokezu ni ite ne! Kitto sakini utsukushii hyouga ga aru yo! Katachi aru sonna kokoro daredatte kizukeba motteru kimi mo motteru!"_**

For about four minutes more, the song goes on for what seemed to Yuri like an eternity. She watched all around hopelessly, hoping someone would be tempted to strike. She became less hopeful. She suddenly balled her fist and punched a brick wall next to her.

Yuri: (Yelling in anger, punching the wall once) **"DAMMIT!"** (Sighing; talking to herself) **"I suppose they aren't stupid enough to attack afterall…"**

Yusa (through Yuri's radio): **"Alchemy is about to begin. This is their finale, Yurippe…"**

Yuri: (Into the radio) **"Okay"** (Accepting the facts; talking to herself) **"I guess it didn't go too much to waste… We set up a concert for the people… I guess that's not too bad"**

Some feedback is heard through the amplifiers. Iwasawa begins strumming a few chords and sings the duet with Yui…

**_"Mugen ni ikitai… Mugen ni ikiraretara… Subete kanau. Demo ironna, mono ga atashi o oikondeku, ikiru nokori jikan yume, no zahyou yukue, zenbu daiji na mono na no ni… Ii sa kokora de chotto, amai mono tabeteiko. Sou iu shikouteishi, bakari tokui ni natta…"_**

Yuri watches the performance from a distance, away from the large crowd. Before striking a cymbal stylishly, Irie tosses one drumstick lightly in the air, twirling it. Suddenly, the drums stop playing completely, and Irie falls out of her chair, grasping her hand. No one in the band notices until they find themselves off rhythm. The music stops completely, generating massive feedback through the amplifiers. The public becomes confused and begins chatting amongst themselves on what may have just happened.

Hisako tends to Irie. She lifts up her hand to find that it had been impaled by a thrown-knife when she was doing tricks with her drumstick. Irie began to cry in pain, losing large amounts of blood. Hinata makes his way on the stage quickly. The band members give her a little air to breathe as Hinata tries grabbing her hand. She hesitates, but then allows him to use his skills.

Hinata: (Worried) **"Who the hell did this?"**

Iwasawa: (Surprised) **"I didn't see anything… Yui and I were singing, then… Irie just stopped playing. We had no idea…"**

Suddenly, few bodies within the crowd begin falling out with blood slipping through fresh slits in their skin. A frenzied mob erupts, and the crowd disperses quickly, panicking loudly and running in all directions. Amidst the crowd of frenzied people, one distinct woman is seen with long, black hair, grey eyes, a white blouse, and blue skirt. It looked much like Yuri's SSS uniform, except without the patch. The girl looked fairly young, late teens, and stood there, watching the stage. As the crowd begins to lessen, she advances towards the stage. Hinata stands up after tending to Irie and puts his hands out.

Hinata: **"Guard skill, barrier!"**

A pixilated barrier suddenly forms from out of Hinata's palms and into a clear wall ahead of him.

Yui: **"Who the hell do you think you are?!"**

The girl chuckles and grabs out a knife from her sleeve.

Hiramo: (Playfully) **"Oh? Me? I'm just a girl. A lost little girl! Did I cause all those people to run? I'm sorry! My name is Mesome. Mesome Hiramo of Sinister!"**

Hiramo smiles evily and places the knife handle on her palm, ready to toss it. She motions to throw it. She swings her arm and releases the knife, slicing it through the air. And just as fast as she threw it, it was deflected with a loud ping. A spark could be seen emitting from the impact of the blade against Angel's hand sonic. Angel quickly advances towards the girl, who suddenly grabs two knives from two small sheathes on her thighs. Angel slashes at her and is blocked. Hiramo does the same, but to no avail. Both of them seemed evenly matched, except Angel was not close to running out of breath. Hiramo struggled slightly. Both of them quickly made jabs at each other.

Ooyama tries aiming to make a shot, but can't stabilize the sniper rifle to successfully hit Hiramo. He looks off into his peripherals and notices a man in the distance holding a rifle as well, aiming it at the stage. TK sees him as well.

TK: (Slightly nervous) **"Yo short shooter!"**

Ooyama: **"Yeah, I see him"**

Ooyama aims at the sniper that was about to take a shot at the stage. He closes out the rest of reality and puts all of his focus into his target and the slow pulling of his trigger.

Ooyama: (Speaking to himself) **"I gotcha, you bastard…"**

Ooyama squeezes with his index finger. The jerks his right shoulder back a couple of inches. The target suddenly falls over, with a large, red hole in his head. The light, red mist of blood paints the air around where he stood. Ooyama stood and pumped his fist in the air in excitement.

Ooyama: (Excited) **"Booyah!"**

TK smiles and dances with his weapon, getting a contact high from Ooyama's excitement.

TK: **"See you soon, dead-…"**

Yuri (through Ooyama's radio): (Exclaiming in a whisper) **"You idiots! Get down! They see you!"**

Suddenly, a noticeable ping is heard. TK stops dancing. Ooyama stops celebrating and looks at TK. The tall dancer falls on his knees, then flat on his body. Ooyama looks down and sees blood gushing out of his back where a hole was made. Suddenly, hears a similar ping, and a shock encases his entire body. He looks down, shaking slightly, unable to even speak. He sees that his chest had also been punctured with a similar hole that he saw on TK. He loses vision, falling over on TK.

Yuri sees the entire thing and becomes angry and tries scoping out where the counter-counter sniper was. She follows the bullet trail she saw when her subordinates were gunned down, leading up to a balcony of a large clock building adjacent to the city square. Yuri takes very close aim with her Beretta, knowing full well she was merely spit-balling her trajectory with her pistol. She closes her left eye, staring through her right, struggling to aim it just right. Finally, she holds her breath and pulls the trigger. She releases her breath and she sees the man stop moving, dropping his rifle over the balcony, as his body's momentum also falls forward, over the small rails, four stories, and his body making a hard plop onto the concrete ground.

Knowing there could very well be another sniper, Yuri runs over to a safe area, on-looking the operation.

Yuri: (Into her radio, whispering) **"Group B, where are you?"**

Noda (through Yuri's radio): (Struggling) **"Kind of busy here!"** (Unintentionally speaking through his radio) **"Hey! Shiina! Get the one behind me!"**

Yuri could hear noticeable, loud metal-to-metal sounds, slamming into one another. They were obviously in combat.

Noda (through Yuri's Radio): (Excited) **"HELL YEAH! Kicking some ass is what we do best! That'll show these bastards what we're made of!"**

Yuri puts away her radio and watches the main stage over a short, brick wall south of where GlDeMo was. Angel and Otonashi were still fighting Hiramo.

Otonashi finally charges up two Prismatic Shots. His hands begin to emit a slight glow, he takes aim. Angel notices him trying to make a shot. She pushes herself away from Hiramo, smashing her blades one last time with her Hand Sonic, trying to disorient her.

Otonashi releases both shots. Two sharp, glowing arrows launch from Otonashi's cuffs, heading straight for the enemy. Hiramo realizes what was going on. She acts quickly. As Angel was pushing away from her, she is suddenly grabbed at on her left arm. Angel gives a shove, but cannot escape her grasp. Hiramo sees the opportunity and pulls Angel directly in front of her. Angel sees both objects headed straight for her. Angel's eyes grow and she gives a loud, high-pitched yelp. There was nothing she could do to stop it.

Angel: (High-pitched yelp) **"Yuzuru!"**

Otonashi realizes what was happening, but it was too late. Angel is suddenly stabbed by both projectiles. Her pupils shrink to the size of pin-needles, and her eyes are as wide as death itself, and her mouth was gaped open, trying hard to gasp for air.

Otonashi: (Yelling) **"Kanade!"**

Iwasawa: (Cupping her hands over her mouth) **"Angel!"**

Everyone was stunned. They all watched in surprise, their most powerful SSS member was just taken down unintentionally by her own boyfriend.

Angel's eyes close and Hiramo lets go of her wrist, allowing her body to fall. Her Hand Sonic disappears. Hiramo steps over her body, moving towards Otonashi, smiling evily.

Hinata tries to make a run over to Kanade to hopefully hear her, but is stopped by Yui, who grabs onto his arm. She doesn't say anything, but only looks into his eyes, begging him with her gaze not to go because of the danger. Hinata nods and stands down. He puts his hands out ahead of him and says a few words in a light murmur. Suddenly, a wide barrier shields the entire stage from the rest of the world.

Otonashi is stunned at what had just happened; looking at two holes in his beloved Kanade's abdomen and chest, and it's profuse bleeding. Otonashi's blood begins to boil. Tears begin forming at the corners of his eyes and his stunned stare turns into a vengeful glare. He goes into a fighting stance, spreading his feet and hands. Electricity suddenly begins emitting from his fingers as they glow. He shoots two Prismatic shots at the girl. She dodges both quickly and dashes for Otonashi.

A loud 'pop' is heard from Otonashi's right. Suddenly, Hiramo lets out a light, pained yell, tripping over. Yuri walks out from behind a brick wall, brandishing her M92 Beretta, glaring at the evil girl.

Yuri: **"I believe you're what we'd call in my small group: screwed"**

Hiramo grins and gives a glare at Yuri.

Hiramo: **"Oh, well if it isn't the wannabe Haruhi Suzumiya"**

Yuri: (Becoming angry) **"I do not look like her!"**

Hiramo struggles to stand on her right leg. She grunts, but somehow keeps her evil grin. Yuri grabs out her knife and dashes for the girl. Suddenly, as fast as the bullet was ensnared into her leg, Hiramo is suddenly impaled by a long katana from behind. Her pupils shrink and her eyes grow. She falls over, her body resting at about a 25 degree angle on the sharp blade. Yuri stops, stunned at what happened. She gives a sigh and glares at her former target, confused.

Yuri: **"Is that Fujimaki's blade…?"**

Suddenly, a voice calls out from a small distance.

Wren: **"No… It's mine"**

An individual wearing dark clothes walks from a small trail leading up towards the stage. He wore a black fedora, black slacks, a short, black scarf, a black sweat shirt with his sleeves pulled up to his elbow. He slowly walks over to the girl and grabs a hold of the hilt of the katana. He pulls it out of its bloody sheath of what was the body of a girl. Yuri looks at him and glares.

Yuri: **"Hey, who the hell do you think you are?"**

He looks over at her and grabs out a handkerchief. He begins explaining.

Wren: **"I saw the entire thing happen from the crowd. You would have been killed if you got close to her"**

Yuri: (Pulls her weapon up, aiming it at him) **"I didn't ask that"**

Wren: (Wipes the blood off of his blade with the cloth) **"Why do you want to know? We all killed her, didn't we? Why aim your weapon at me? I didn't do anything wrong"**

Yuri stutters, not able to think of anything to combat his words.

Yuri: (Spitting out words to try putting up an argument) **"We don't even know who you are! We don't know if you're evil. How do we know this isn't just some ploy?"**

Wren: **"Because if it were some ploy, I would have killed all of you already"**

Yuri gives a slight gasp. Everyone else watches. Hinata puts down his barrier. Otonashi runs towards Angel's incapacitated body. He slips his arms below her back and legs and lifts her. Hinata steps off of the platform and activates his guard skill to lessen the duration of the wound. Hinata begins healing her and Otonashi was holding her lifeless body. The wounds are seen closing, and the bloodstained skin around the wound began losing its crimson stains, turning into her normal, white skin.

She began breathing lightly, but was still unconscious. Otonashi smiled at her sleeping face.

Otonashi: **"I think we need to take her home to rest"**

Yuri: **"Wait... We're not done…"** (Pauses) **"We have two issues…"** (Looks at Wren) **"You… And we need the girl"**

Wren: (Sigh) **"What do you want me to do to prove to you that I'm not the enemy"**

Yuri: **"You still haven't even told us who you were for one, or what side you're on"**

Wren: **"Well, then, if you must know, my name is Wren Artemus. I can't really disclose what faction I am from, but I take it you all are of the Afterlife Battle Front?"**

Yusa comes up from behind the platform and begins asking a question. Everyone is slightly startled from her sudden appearance.

Yusa: **"How do you know that? We've always been a closed group. We've never told any outsiders who we were"**

Wren chuckles lightly, and then begins to sheathe his katana. As he does, the blade miraculously begins to disappear into thin air. Everyone watches in amazement, not believing what they were seeing.

Hinata: **"What did you…?"**

Wren: **"We will cross paths again, my friends. I apologize, Yuri, or Yurippe, if I have caused any trouble to you or your faction"**

Yuri becomes angry. Her temper begins to loosen ever so slightly.

Yuri: **"How do you know my name?!"**

Wren turns around and begins to walk away, leaving them behind, and disappearing into nothing. Hinata rubs his eyes to see if they were deceiving him.

Hinata: **"He just… disappeared…"**

Yuri drops her arms; her gun was pointed at the ground. Her eyes began to shake. She turns around and begins to run. Otonashi realizes she was running away and begins calling out to her, worryingly.

Otonashi: (Calling out) **"Wait! Yuri! Stop!"**

He realizes that it is useless and lets her go. He looks down in at his arms, still carrying Angel, who was still unconscious. He sighs. Everyone else just looks at each other, confused at everything that just happened the past fifteen minutes.

* * *

~23:00 (11:00 PM): SSS HQ

Otonashi walks through the hallway to find Yuri, who he hasn't seen the past hour or so. He puts his hand on the doorknob of the main conference room. He slowly turns the knob, making sure he doesn't make a sound. He peeks through the small door opening, hoping to find Yuri. The room was extremely dark. All window blinds were down, and the only light available was the large screen in the front of the room. Otonashi could hear the sound of sniffling coming from behind Yuri's desk, where her chair was turned around, facing the screen.

Otonashi crept inside, hoping not to make any noise. He could hear sobbing as he got closer. He finally got up to her desk and walked directly to the left of it, finding Yuri balled up in her chair; her chin resting on her arms, which were wrapped around her legs. She lifted her hand to wipe a trail of tears from her face.

Otonashi's heart fell to the pit of his stomach it seemed. He felt a sense of despair for his leader. He frowned and felt bad for sneaking to find where she was.

Otonashi: (Trying to sympathize) **"…Yuri"**

Yuri felt a rush of energy jolt through her body. Startled, she jumped up and backed away from Otonashi, quickly wiping her face free of tears to make herself seem less pathetic. Otonashi tried avoiding eye-contact, as she did with him. She began yelling at him.

Yuri: (Yelling) **"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Why are you here?!"**

Otonashi tried sympathizing with her.

Otonashi: (Sympathetic) **"Sorry… I didn't mean to startle you, but I tried knocking earlier… You didn't answer"**

The very soul of Yuri's being was completely disturbed with untapped anger that Otonashi managed to get into this past minute. She balled her fist and it began to shake from the pressure she put on it. Otonashi frowned, feeling sorry for having bothered her.

Yuri: (Yelling) **"What the fuck do you want?! Huh?!"** (Pauses) **"Answer me, dammit!"**

Otonashi didn't know what to say. Yuri's eyes began producing more tears that trailed down her face. She finally lost it. She jumped towards Otonashi and pounded at his chest with her left fist, knocking him back significantly. Otonashi's breath is forced out of his body along with a few drops of saliva. Yuri turned around and dropped to her knees, putting her face into her palms. Her emotions suddenly make a turn. From anger to sadness, Yuri's tears find their way through her fingers and dripped onto the floor.

No one in the history of the SSS has ever seen her in such a state. Otonashi couldn't be angry, despite having the wind knocked out of him because of her anger. He wasn't annoyed. He wasn't angry. He felt deep sympathy for the girl who was his leader. He walked next to her and knelt down to her left. She looked up at him. Otonashi put one hand on her back, signifying that he wanted to be there for her. Without warning, Yuri leans left, the side of her face finding its way onto Otonashi's chest. Otonashi puts both arms around her and comforts her.

Otonashi: (Sympathizing) **"Yuri… Why are you crying? We got everything we needed tonight, we have a Sinister in captivity... We're all okay. We didn't lose anything… It's all fine"**

Yuri tries to speak, but stutters over her own words, trying to get past her own sobs.

Yuri: (Sobbing madly) **"You… you don't understand… I'm a terrible leader!"**

Otonashi is stunned. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe that Yuri Nakamura, one of the most charismatic, intelligent, interesting, and coordinative people he knew was calling herself a 'terrible leader'. Otonashi was speechless for a moment.

Otonashi: **"But how? Tell me, Yuri, how are you unfit as a leader? I want to know… Every mission we've been through, including this last one was successful. Everything we've done since we've known each other has been through your precise planning and care. So tell me why you think you're a bad leader…"**

Yuri looks up at him, her vision blurred, and tears forming at the base of her eyes.

Yuri: (Looking down at the ground) **"I appreciate your sympathetic comment… Everything we've done as the SSS hasn't been as it used to be… This place is different, Otonashi… This isn't the afterlife school"**

Yuri puts her head back down on his chest. Her sobbing lightens a little bit. The sides of Otonashi's mouth somehow form into a smile. He takes his index finger and wipes the tears away from her cheeks.

Otonashi: **"So how does that make you a bad leader? That just means you're still learning how to become more accustomed to this place. You have to realize that this place isn't as small as the other place. This is Earth… The spirit world on Earth anyways... We don't deal with NPCs, teachers, the mental threat of some girl trying whose goal is to make us disappear… Or even disappearing for that matter! This place is a little different. I'd expect you to realize that, Yuri. You're one of the smartest people I know"**

Yuri: (Frowns, wipes another tear that was forming in her eye) **"I've always doubted myself, even though I was pretty determined to do something. I try holding myself up with confidence to make you guys look up to me as a leader, and it's worked for the most part, but… I feel like I've failed every single one of you the past few weeks"**

Otonashi: **"But how?"**

Yuri sighs. She stops sobbing completely, trying to recall the past month's events.

Yuri: **"Before you got here, everyone was captured, except for like three people… We were forced into a small attic, all of us… It was hot, humid, and just disturbing. We were all tortured, killed over and over again, just for their pleasure… Just because they wanted to… And it was all my fault…"**

Otonashi:** "You can't blame yourself for something that was inevitable though. I heard about that entire thing. I was there when you all were freed"**

Yuri: **"But you don't know the entire story"**

Otonashi's mind clicked. He knew there was something wrong. He braced himself for a shocking truth that Yuri would reveal to him.

Yuri: **"Before that incident… I met someone when I was exploring the area a little bit… A guy who seemed nice at the time, about our age, stopped me. He told me that he noticed the patch on my shoulder. I don't know if you've also realized it, but we have a new slogan on the patch"**

Otonashi: **"Yes, I did see it. Rebels against the evil now, isn't it?"**

She nodded.

Yuri: **"He told me that he wanted to join me. This entire year before that point, there's been a little bit of action happening all over with other people being kidnapped or convinced to join them. At the moment, I was contemplating on opening our group to other people. Everyone was out on a mission at the time, so HQ was empty. Noda saw him, but only spoke with him briefly as I gave him the tour. The guy's name was Glaive"**

Otonashi's mind put a piece of the puzzle, remembering that it was the same guy who they encountered at that house.

Yuri: **"In the middle of the tour, around the time Noda left to go help out with the current mission, he strangled me until I passed out. He and his group waited and waited… Until the rest of the others came back, already exhausted from the last mission, and they ambushed them…"**

Otonashi was slightly shocked, but still felt bad for Yuri, knowing she had such a terrible burden weighing her down.

Otonashi: **"Yuri… You couldn't tell if he was bad… How does that make you a bad leader?"**

Yuri begins to sob; tears begin to form in her eyes once more also. She grabs onto Otonashi's shirt and grips it tightly, trying to hold in her emotions.

Yuri: **"I just…"**

Otonashi suddenly tightens his hold around her, to keep her from possibly throwing her emotions outward again.

Otonashi: **"Yuri… Stop it!"** (Soft voiced) **"Stop calling yourself a bad leader… That was one mistake. No one is perfect, you know? Stop thinking of yourself as a terrible person. Yuri, you're one of the smartest people I know. You're a little rough around the edges, and sometimes it's hard to read you… But that's what we all love about you… Yuri, you're the best possible leader we could have possibly ever had the good fortune of following"**

Yuri grabs onto his arm with one of her hands and closes her eyes. She tries to suppress it, but the morale Otonashi had given her made her smile a little bit. The warmth inside of her began to grow slightly.

Yuri: **"Thank you…"**

Otonashi: **"Even though you hold the responsibility of keeping us together and organizing our operations, as well as supervising them, you're still our leader, and I'm sure every single one of us wouldn't hesitate if you needed help…"**

Yuri wipes the tears from her eyes again. She moves herself away from Otonashi a little bit. He lets go of her to give her some space.

Yuri: **"Thank you, Otonashi… You've been a great friend to me… Even though we treated you like complete crap when we first met you…"**

Yuri suddenly extends her arms out at Otonashi and puts them around his neck, and her face going over his left shoulder, she hugs him tightly. He returns her hug.

Yuri: **"Otonashi… I don't know where I would be if you were never here... Without you, none of us would be here with each other. Without you, none of this would be real. Twice now you have saved us all... You helped us pass from that other world… And you saved us from that awful house. Everything you do, Otonashi… It never ceases to amaze me…"**

Otonashi feels a sense of endearment, and a humble warmth within him begins spreading throughout his being. Yuri slowly eases off of him, but her hands still latched behind his neck. Suddenly, they make eye contact. They both freeze.

Otonashi's eyes are trapped within the gaze of Yuri's emerald-green eyes. She is also captivated by his burgundy stare. They both freeze for a few seconds, stuck in an endless moment. For some reason, the world seemed to become nonexistent for the both of them. Yuri's cheeks began to burn light pink, and the same happened to Otonashi's. And as if it were a natural reaction, slowly, their faces began to grow closer. As they grew closer, their eyes began to shut. Yuri put her hand on his cheek as they got closer. Suddenly, without any current feeling of remorse, without feeling, and as if it were a natural order for this event to occur, their lips touched, and everything around them disappeared from their reality.

Suddenly, Otonashi regained himself in the middle of their kiss. His eyes quickly jolted open and he jumped back. She was slightly taken aback by his action. He began to breathe heavily.

Otonashi: **"Oh my god, Yuri… Wait, did we just…"**

Yuri realized what just happened and also panicked.

Yuri: (Putting her hands over her mouth, gasping) **"Otonashi… Wait, I'm so sorry"**

Her hands move from her mouth to over her eyes, but she was more embarrassed than sad now.

Otonashi: **"I don't… We just…"**

Yuri: **"Oh my god, Otonashi… We… You… Me…"**

Both Yuri and Otonashi were in a state of panic. They both lost eye contact and refused to regain it for the duration of their madness.

Otonashi: **"I think we need to just go to bed now…"**

Yuri lets out a slight yelp as her face is rushed with red and pink. Otonashi thinks about what he just said and slaps himself in the mouth.

Otonashi: **"Oh my god, no! I didn't mean that! I meant we need to sleep! Not together! As in separate rooms! Separate halls even!"**

Yuri: **"Yeah! Y-You're right, Yuzu-… I mean Otonashi!"**

In their minds, madness was the understatement of their current emotion. They both ran towards the door of the conference room, opening it and dashing out, hoping to get as far away from each other within this building as they could.

Otonashi ran one way, and Yuri ran in the other direction, hoping they wouldn't see each other for the rest of the night.

In his frenzy, Otonashi was looking behind him to see if she was still there. He wiped his mouth, hoping to God she wasn't wearing any type of lip gloss, on the chance someone would notice.

Suddenly, as he begins to look forward, he accidentally bumps over a shorter by-passer. He trips and falls over as well, landing right next to her.

Otonashi: (Rubbing his head) **"Oh man, I'm so sorry…-"**

Before he looked up to see who it was, he flinches and stutters madly.

Otonashi: **"K-Kanade!"**

She rubs her head and looks at him.

Angel: **"I am sorry if I got in your way, Yuzuru. Are you okay?"**

Otonashi: **"What? I should be asking you if you're okay!"**

Otonashi stands up. He extends his hand down, offering to help her stand. She grabs his hand and he helps her to her feet.

Kanade: **"I am fine, thank you. Hinata assisted me back to health. Why are you rushing though?"**

Otonashi was suddenly reminded of his frenzy, and why he was running. His mind raced again.

Otonashi: (Quickly thinking of an excuse) **"I uh… I uh… I am just… I'm tired! Yeah! That's it! I'm tired! I must sleep!"**

Otonashi begins running again to his room. He waves back at her, hoping she wouldn't seem suspicious.

_ Otonashi's mind: "Oh man, I hope she doesn't think anything of it! How can I live with myself?!" _

Angel: (Talking to herself) **"Yuzuru is strange… I suppose he didn't want a goodnight kiss. I think I'll surprise him in the morning"**

Angel smiles at her warm thought and continued along the hallway to her own room.


	10. Chapter 10: Truth

Author's Notes

This one is quite long, sorry!

Hey guys! Finally out with another chapter. Took a while again, sorry… Thank you for your patience! I thank you all for your reviews, both appraising and constructive. I'll also answer a couple of questions I saw on the reviews board.

To answer some questions: Misaka: You asked why I didn't name some people as they were called in the Japanese dub, such as Hinata-Senpai or Tenshi (for Kanade/Angel), and why I refer her in my narratives and most characters as Angel, while the dialogues refer to her as Kanade…

My answer: In the Japanese dub, yes, Yui refers to Hinata as Senpai, and Angel/Kanade is referred as Tenshi. I saw both dubs, and I loved both sets of voice actors for the Japanese and English. I figured since I was writing in English, I thought it was more proper for me to do it as if it were an English dub. I understand it probably wouldn't feel as original as it would if it were subbed, but I was a bit more comfortable writing it this way, rather than if I were writing it as if I were subbing a Japanese dub. In the English dub, Kanade is referred to as Angel as well, so I went ahead and did it that way. It just didn't really seem right mixing in Japanese words with English to me. I'm not exactly sure why. I guess I'm weird like that haha!

I also refer to Kanade as Angel in the narrative because it's what the characters originally referred to her as, since they didn't know her real name (other than Yuri, who apparently knew, but told them that she forgot at the time they took their exams in the original anime series). Yuzuru and Yuri are the only ones who refer to Angel as Kanade, since they were really the only ones who called her by her first name in the original series (I'm pretty sure that was the case), so everyone else calls her by her nickname.

You also asked about the love interest pairings within the entire group. I had to put a bit of thought into this, since it kind of felt like an extremely delicate piece within the story, considering how the original anime ended (which saddened me to a point where I HAD TO do something to ease my mind, thus this fanfic was born). Romance in a possible story after the anime series felt like a very necessary addition, and had to be implemented. I didn't necessarily put a Noda x Shiina interest, but I put that small scene of 'interest' in just to put a little spice. It is possible for something along those lines to happen between them, but it's not certain yet.

And at last, the love triangle between Yuri, Otonashi, and Kanade… I will not reveal whether Otonashi abandons her or not, or settles his problem. I will not reveal it because it kind of ruins the story; however I figured it would be a good scenario to add just to give the story a little bit of drama.

I hope I haven't disappointed anyone, as I did not intend. In my defense, it is fairly difficult to appeal to everyone, but I would love to appeal to as many people as physically possible. I thank everyone for your appraisals and constructive ideas. I hope I can keep you entertained with this fanfic. Thank you, all!

-Parahdoks

* * *

Chapter 10: Truth

The next morning: 9:55 AM, Basement Floor 4 (Detention Cells) of the SSS HQ

Fujimaki unsheathed his blade with a serious look on his face, not taking his eyes off of the detained man known as Kanoshi, the sniper that hit TK and Ooyama during the last operation. Fujimaki stared into his eyes without blinking once. Kanoshi was slightly intimidated, blinking and directing his eye contact to the left, away from the young interrogator.

Kanoshi and Fujimaki were the only individuals within the detention cell. The room was decently-sized; almost a complete replica of the one Otonashi and Angel had been placed in two and a half years ago when they faced the wrath of Naoi. The room had steel, green walls, a twin-sized bed, a sink, toilet, and even an LCD monitor stored in the indention of a wall, covered by bulletproof glass. Behind Fujimaki was a giant, steel door, designed by Naoi himself, and with the help of the guild, it was upgraded from its former predecessor, the same door Angel had escaped from with Otonashi using her guard skills. This holding cell was indeed impenetrable.

Fujimaki: **"Why are you looking away from me? What, you scared, punk?"**

Kanoshi: **"I should be asking why you're looking at ME like that"**

Fujimaki: **"Because you're a Sinister, and quite frankly, we don't like any of you bastards"**

Kanoshi: **"What do you want from me?"**

Fujimaki smiled. He could see right through this guy. Kanoshi was an older fellow, around 25 years of age with a five-o'clock shadow and short, spiked, brown hair. Despite his striking looks, he seemed fairly timid towards Fujimaki.

Fujimaki: **"Don't worry. As long as I am getting answers, you and your people are going to be fine. And I can promise that to you"** (Begins pacing, while keeping a gaze at the man) **"We're not a harmful group of individuals. We're pretty fair, if you ask me, wouldn't you agree, Kanoshi?"**

Kanoshi: **"What are you getting at?"**

Fujimaki: "**Try not to think too much into what I ask you. Everything is pretty straight forward with me. Just answer my questions"**

Kanoshi: **"I have no idea what you want me to say… Whether I think you guys are fair, or if you're just being sarcastic"**

Fujimaki: **"Look, Kanoshi… Everything I ask you should be taken as a question, in turn, requires an answer. So yes, answer everything I ask you. Simple, right?"**

Kanoshi: **"Well, if that's the case… I don't think fairness would be the term, considering you guys planned on this whole thing anyways…"**

Fujimaki: **"And you guys call what you do fair?"**

Kanoshi: **"I suppose you have a point. But I wouldn't call everything we do 'unfair'. It just feels so…"**

Fujimaki: **"True? I believe that's the word I was thinking of. If you call what you Sinister bastards do 'fair', then you might need to rethink your definition of the word evil. You all torture the living by haunting them, you force helpless spirits in this world to serve you and grant them a false passage… You all make me sick"**

Kanoshi: **"We're getting nowhere with this"**

Fujimaki: **"I believe you're right" **(Sighs) **"So tell me about your friend Hiramo"**

Kanoshi: **"She's our group leader… But to be honest, not too many of us think she's a good leader. A good fighter for sure; she can do some damage. She's also gorgeous, but that doesn't matter…"**

Fujimaki breathes in lightly, trying to think of some questions that would be essential to their mission that he would possibly answer.

Fujimaki: **"What are your personal goals, Kanoshi? What is it you hope to accomplish within Sinister?"**

Kanoshi raises an eyebrow at Fujimaki, wondering why he'd ask such an unorthodox question. He thought of his answers wisely. He thinks of his answer, looking up at the light and smiling.

Kanoshi: (Sarcastic) **"I guess… to gain the respect of my peers… Quite honestly, I've never had too much respect when I was alive. I figure I'd do something to get a little bit of that feeling I never had, ya know? I've always wanted to be a shooter, too, and here I am!"**

Fujimaki raised an eyebrow. He wasn't very convinced or amused Kanoshi's answer or his attitude.

Fujimaki: **"You're full of shit"**

He knew it was a lie.

Fujimaki: **"Why don'tcha look me dead in my eyes and tell me that it's the truth"**

Kanoshi looks down with a grunt, showing slight worry towards Fujimaki. The young interrogator grins; his humor feeding off of Kanoshi's fear.

Fujimaki: **"Why did you guys attack us last night?"**

Kanoshi: **"Why wouldn't we have? You were all open for the picking. At least, that's what we thought"**

Fujimaki: (Impressed, gives a nod) **"I'll give it to ya. Takes a lot of humility to admit what you just said"**

Kanoshi: **"Some of us aren't all bad, you know"**

Fujimaki: **"That still doesn't change the fact that you guys are all in it for the same goal, to gain power through fear"**

Kanoshi: **"That's not tr-…"**

Fujimaki's attitude suddenly makes a turn for the worst. Before Kanoshi could finish his sentence, he quickly puts the tip of his blade up to the detainee's neck, interrupting him immediately.

Fujimaki: **"Shut up! You all tortured us and imprisoned us for two weeks! You call that untrue? Are you denying the fact that you all are evil bastards?"**

Kanoshi doesn't speak. Fujimaki sheathes his blade.

Fujimaki: **"I'm done with you. Enjoy your time here, scumbag"** (Turns and begins walking to the large, steel door) **"If it were up to me, I'd take every single appliance in here: that television, that remote, even your mattress… And I'd trash it all"** (Pauses)** "Live in solitude, worthless waste of a life"**

As Fujimaki walks over to the door, he could suddenly hear growling from behind him. Kanoshi takes the opportunity while Fujimaki is turned. The young swordsman could hear the sound of the detainee rushing at him from behind. Fujimaki quickly grips the hilt of his sword and quickly unsheathes it, slashing it in a 360 degree spin. Blood is suddenly caked onto the wall in the direction of his slash. Kanoshi grips at his neck, gasping for air. He falls to his knees. Blood drains profusely through his grip, which was holding the slit in his neck. He falls over and his eyes shut, the floor flooding lightly with crimson. Fujimaki sheathes his blade and grunts.

Fujimaki: **"Pathetic"**

Fujimaki types in a small code on the keypad and turns the large, steel rotor. The door opens smoothly with a heavy, slow swing. He walks out and closes the door, the rotor spinning shut, locking it.

* * *

In the next cell, Yusa sits at a table with Naoi across from Hiramo, who was sitting patiently, staring into both of their eyes. The room was quiet. It had almost the same setup as the next room over where Fujimaki carried out his interrogation.

Hiramo sat back in her chair, putting her legs up on the table, crossing her feet. She started twirling an index finger in her bangs.

Naoi: **"Are we boring you, Miss Hiramo?"**

Hiramo: (Sigh) **"Kind of. I expected more inhumane, kind of a torturous setting"**

Yusa stared at her with a calm and still stare, not making any emotion. Naoi just looked at her, trying to read her, also trying not to make any expression.

Yusa: **"We aren't Sinister, so we're not as thoughtless and uncaring as they are"**

Hiramo sneered at Yusa's partially-meant insulting comment. She looked away, breaking eye-contact with them. Naoi looked to his left at Yusa. She looked back at him. They both nodded at each other. Naoi then looked over at Hiramo. She watched them and questioned in her head what they were planning. Naoi looked at Hiramo in her eyes. His red stare began to slightly change into a darker hue.

Naoi: **"So, tell me, Miss Hiramo, why did you guys try attacking us?"**

Hiramo: (Sneering) **"What's it to you?"**

Naoi glared at her, confused at why she didn't answer just as he demanded her to. Naoi keeps eye contact with her, trying to intensify his gaze.

Naoi: **"Answer me, Hiramo. Why did you all try attacking us?"**

Hiramo: **"Dude, you're like freaking me out with that stare. Are you some kind of creep?"**

Naoi knew it was futile. Yusa looks at him and realizes that she was somehow immune to his hypnotism.

Hiramo: **"If you seriously need me to answer that, you must be stupider than you look"**

Yusa: **"I believe you mean 'even more stupid", not 'stupider' "**

Hiramo: (Becoming slightly flustered) **"Shut the hell up!"**

Yusa thinks for a moment. She thought of a couple of questions that she could ask that would even be partially pertinent to assisting the SSS's cause. Yusa pauses and slightly grins.

Yusa: **"Hiramo, are you familiar with the name Wren Artemus?"**

Hiramo, in a quick jolt, sits up, taking her feet off of the table. Her eyes widen and begin shaking. The hairs on the back of her neck stand, and the taste of fear suddenly becomes fresh in the air.

Hiramo: **"D-Did you just say… Wren Artemus?"**

Yusa and Naoi realized a breakthrough has just been made the instant she uttered that name to Hiramo.

Yusa: **"I did. Can you tell me who he is?"**

Hiramo: (Quaking in some fear and surprise) **"That means… He was the one who…"**

Yusa: **"The one who killed you? Yes, it was"** (Pauses) **"So I take it your group and him have some sort of history then"**

Hiramo: (Regaining herself, crossing her arms and looking down to her left) **"You could say that"**

Yusa: **"Who is he?"**

Hiramo: **"Wren used to with us. He was one of the most powerful members of Sinister until he left. Because of him, we're not as powerful as we used to be. Because of him, I lost everything I ever wanted in my entire life. Because of him… I lost my feeling…"**

Yusa: **"And what is it that you've ever wanted?"**

Hiramo's face turns a slight shade of pink as she glares at Yusa. She opens her mouth, hoping to retract her statement, but just keeps herself quiet, knowing she should have just stayed silent. She doesn't answer. They all pause for a few moments.

Hiramo: (Changing the subject)** "Wren isn't with us anymore. He fights us every chance he gets, claiming he has an agenda for revenge against us"**

Yusa: **"Wouldn't that explain why we are fighting you guys then? You all are a group who enforces evil. That's pretty ironic that you mention agendas against Sinister"**

Hiramo sneers at her comment.

Yusa: **"Oh dear, I seemed to have hit a soft spot"**

Hiramo: **"Keep thinking that, hun. You're wasting your time interrogating me. You might as well just leave and allow me to just be alone. I'm kind of getting weirded out by your friend, too. He keeps on staring at me for some strange reason"** (To Naoi) **"What do you want from me?"**

Naoi stops his hypnotic gaze. His trials were futile against her for some odd reason. Naoi crossed him arms and gave a slight glare, wondering why it wouldn't work.

Naoi: **"Why do you guys do all of this? What's with all the evil doings?"**

Hiramo: **"You want to know the truth?"** (Smiles) **"Power"** (Pauses) **"Power brings attracts others who feel our aura. It brings unity to Sinister. There is no room in this world for the weak. With power, you can control anything, even the world of the living. There's no stopping us, to be honest. That same idiot you met when you invaded one of our many hideouts… Glaive… He's a complete moron!"**

Naoi glares at her, becoming slightly insulted. The very idea that the person who imprisoned the entire SSS was an individual that was being called one of Sinister's 'morons' bothered Naoi.

Hiramo: **"That's right, creeper boy! You all were held captive by a complete jackass!"** (Laughs) **"Now I will admit that he is pretty strong; powerful even… But it's not hard keeping watch over an attic full of fatigued, tortured, and weak goody-too-shoes, and yet he couldn't even do that!"**

Yusa: **"So if that makes us more pathetic by being captured by a complete moron, what does that make you?"**

Hiramo's attitude turns south, slightly insulted by the comment.

Hiramo: **"I'm done with you fools. You can leave me in peace now. Shoo-shoo!"**

Naoi raises an eyebrow, annoyed at her small notion. He looks at her and sneers.

Naoi: (Rolls his eyes) **"Why even waste our time on her. She's completely useless. She's not going to give us anything more, so why waste our breath on such a pathetic waste of life?"**

Hiramo gives a slight growl.

Yusa: (To Naoi) **"I think her ego is getting the best of her. You must have hit a soft spot, too Naoi"**

Naoi: **"You might be right"**

Hiramo crosses her arms and looks away.

Yusa: **"I think we're done here"**

Yusa stands up. Naoi does the same. They walk back over to the large, steel vault doors and Yusa begins typing in a code. Yusa can hear some slight shuffling behind her. She stops tying the code.

Yusa: **"It probably wouldn't be a good idea to try escaping. This room is armed. If you try escaping, you will die before you even get past this door"**

Yusa looks back and notices that Hiramo was not in any desire to escape. She takes off her shoes and crawls into her bed.

Hiramo: **"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not even trying to escape"**

Yusa looks forward and continues opening the door. It swings open slowly. Yusa and Naoi walk out and shut the large, vault door behind them and twist the large rotor, locking it. Yusa then looks at Naoi. She stares at him without any emotion, putting her hands on her hips. Naoi glances at her and notices that she was obviously questioning him with body language on how his hypnotism didn't work.

Naoi: **"Don't look at me… I can't control who I CAN'T control"**

Yusa looks forward and continues down the hall. Naoi follows along.

Yusa: **"I suppose that was a little odd. I've never seen anyone resist it like that, let alone be immune to it"**

Naoi: **"Just like how I could look into any girl's eyes and allow me to do as I wish to them?"**

Naoi laughed as he joked. Yusa stops in her tracks. He looks back and notices that Yusa was staring at him with a stare he had never seen from her. It wasn't anger, it wasn't happiness, and it wasn't confusion. Her mouth was slightly open, and she just stared at him. Naoi was slightly creeped out. He backed up a few steps, gritting his teeth a little bit out of worry. Yusa took a few steps at him.

Naoi: **"H-Hey! I was just joking! I wasn't trying to even get to you like that!"**

Yusa put her hands out, her cheeks blushing. She was breathing slightly more. She trips and falls over, landing on her knees and her feet out in opposite directions with her knees together. She stares at him.

Naoi: **"Seriously?"**

Yusa: (Regaining her monotonous stare) **"Hell no."**

Naoi glares at her, annoyed.

Naoi: **"What the hell is up with the sexual innuendoes lately? Come on"**

Yusa stands up, dusting herself off.

Yusa: **"But you thought I was coming onto you"**

Naoi jerked back, his face turning pink a little bit.

Naoi: (Nervously in denial) **"No! Of course n-not!"**

Yusa: **"I forgot you weren't into females. Don't you like Otonashi?"**

Naoi: (Turning red, becoming nervous) **"Are you out of your mind?!"**

* * *

~10:00 AM: Otonashi's room

* * *

Otonashi's room was sound and dark; devoid of all natural light, spending his mornings just how he liked during the afterlife, which was sleeping in. His door creaked open and an unrecognized figure walks into the room quietly, stepping lightly towards the slumbering Otonashi. A hand comes out of the shadowy figure and pulls the curtains open on the window over the futon. It was Angel. Otonashi was barely affected, merely shifting around, facing the center of the room, still sleeping. Angel smiles at him.

She sits at the side of his futon, right next to him and begins leaning over him. Otonashi begins coming to, feeling a presence over him. At first, he doesn't notice there is anyone there, disregarding everything. Suddenly, as his consciousness begins to regain completely, he is deathly startled by Angel, giving a loud yell and pushing her, not realizing who it was. Angel stands up, trying to catch her balance, also slightly startled by Otonashi's reaction. Otonashi realizes who it was that startled him.

Otonashi: (Gasping) **"Kanade!"**

Angel's back bumps a bookshelf behind her. The shelves become undone, causing the books to fall over. A small vase on the top of the shelf is knocked over. Otonashi sees it all happen, but is too late to react. The small vase cracks Angel right on top of her head. She falls over; a porcelain vase was on the floor, small pieces scattered around her. Otonashi quickly jumps out of his comfortable futon and aids his fallen Kanade. She pushed upward off the ground and sat up on her knees. Otonashi kneeled down and checked to see if she had any shards in her hair or skin.

Otonashi: (Surprised, worries, and speaking quickly) **"Oh my god, Kanade, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt! Oh no! I'm so, so sorry!"** (Bows at her) **"Please forgive me!"**

Kanade smiles as she moves the broken vase to the side.

Angel: (Holding her normal posture) **"It hurts a little bit, but it's nothing. Don't worry"**

Otonashi looks up. He notices that the top portion of her shining, white hair was colored with red. He gasped.

Otonashi: **"Oh no, you're bleeding!"**

Otonashi quickly runs over to his closet and grabs out a random, white cloth and runs back to her, kneeling again in front of her. He takes the cloth and puts it on top of her head to stop the bleeding.

Otonashi: **"I'm sorry, Kanade. I didn't even know it was you. You just kind of snuck up on me"**

Angel: (Smiling) **"It's okay. Don't worry about it. Like I said, it's nothing"**

Otonashi: (Keeping pressure on the small wound) **"Maybe I can get Hinata to help"**

Angel: **"I'm not worried about it. It will heal quickly, don't worry. I was sneaking up on you for a reason, and I'm fairly determined to finish my small mission"**

Otonashi: **"Wait, what?"**

Angel quickly jumps at the opportunity without warning. Otonashi's hands fly free from the cloth he held on her head. She quickly lands a small peck on his lips and resets herself back where she was before. Otonashi isn't too stunned, but more confused by her act.

Otonashi: **"Wait, you wanted to surprise me by sneaking in a good morning kiss?"**

Angel: **"Why not? I was going to try last night, but you rushed ahead without allowing me to do so"**

Otonashi is suddenly reminded of the events leading up from last night. The memory reels in his head much like a movie of him and Yuri, out of nowhere kissing. He puts his hand over his eyes, feeling nothing but guilt in his heart. Angel realizes there is something wrong. Her joking demeanor suddenly makes a turn.

Angel:** "Yuzuru… Is everything okay?"**

Otonashi: (Trying to come to terms with the truth) **"Actually… There's something I need to tell you…"**

Angel cocks her head to the left, slightly confused.

Otonashi: **"It's nothing about you… Well, kind of, but indirectly… I hope you can forgive me… I-…"**

Angel: (Interrupts) **"Yuzuru..."** (Pauses) **"Before you continue, I want you to understand… For you to tell me about something that may have happened, even if you don't want to tell me… It shows that you have a lot of courage to reveal something you may not be proud of, or something that you don't want to say. Even if something might be a little painful to me, I can never be angry at you…"**

Otonashi looked down in guilt. He tried to put the words together in his head, but couldn't figure out how to put it in the least blunt way possible.

Otonashi: **"Angel… I-…"**

Otonashi's mind began to travel at a thousand words a second, trying to form a sentence together to admitting that he kissed Yuri. He had no idea how he wouldn't hurt his one and only.

_Dammit! How will she react? I can't… How can I? She's going to hate me! Oh man, why this? I finally get everything I've ever wanted… And now I might lose her… Do I tell her?_

As Otonashi begins opening his mouth, they hear the pitter-patter of footsteps coming from the hallway. The couple's attentions are brought to the doorway where Shiina stopped herself, peering into the room in a rush.

Shiina: **"Come quick! Someone's outside!"**

Otonashi's attention is brought to a halt, following Shiina's exclamation. He stands up. Shiina runs along the hallway. Otonashi follows her. Angel is left alone in his room, thinking that there may be something wrong according to her beloved's demeanor. She stands up slowly, questioning herself within her very mind what could be wrong. She walks out of the room and follows along where they ran to.

* * *

~Outside in the courtyard of the SSS HQ.

* * *

Out in front of the fountain, one individual stood lax. It was the same person they encountered the night before, this time, a sheathed katana latched onto his left side. Otonashi and Angel followed outside, falling in with the other SSS members who on-looked the yard.

Yuri stood firm approximately five meters in front of Wren. Her face held the same sour look as last night.

Yuri: (Angry) **"What do you want from us?"**

Wren: **"Why the hostility? I'm not here to fight you or your group, Nakamura"**

Yuri is taken aback by him calling her by her very own last name. It was something she wasn't used to.

Wren: **"I'm here to share some information, since our groups have a few common goals. After all, we are fighting the same enemy"**

She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Yuri: **"Why should we trust you?"**

Wren: (Sighs) **"I understand you have a bit of trouble trusting others outside of your group, but if I were evil, I would have already plotted against you. I've known the entire layout of this entire city area since I've been here"**

Yuri: **"Then we can talk here"**

Everyone in the SSS, other than guild members, all stood behind Yuri, waiting for something to happen.

Wren: **"Does everyone else need to be watching?"**

Yuri: **"Think of it as extra security"**

Wren: **"Fair enough, Nakamura"**

Yuri became slightly flustered at him calling her by her last name, throwing her off slightly"

Yuri: **"First of all, who are you, and where do you come from? Why are you here?"**

Wren: **"Quite a few questions, isn't it? Fine…"** (Clearing his throat) **"As I have said before, my name is Wren Artemus… I hail from the Scarlet Twenty Faction. We are a group of fighters who combat all evil. Our group has been in commission within this world for hundreds of years. We recruit only those who are willing to do everything it takes to crush those who disturb the peace and the world of the living"**

Yuri: **"How do you know us? How do you know my name?"**

Wren: **"Before I continue, I urge to you that I am not a spy, at least not towards you all. The Scarlet Twenty exists to bring peace into this world and the world of the living by eradicating the evil here. We scout these areas to make sure no malicious deeds have gone unnoticed, but you all seemed to be a group of people with our common goals"**

Noda: (Yelling) **"What the hell! You sent scouts to snoop on us?!"**

Wren: **"As I have said, it was to make sure the SSS was not up to anything malicious. We survey this area every so often, as well as other areas within 50 miles of our home base. This place just happens to be around the edge of our area of responsibility"**

Yuri glares at him.

Yuri: **"Why are you here? What do you want from us?"**

Wren: **"I want an alliance"**

Yuri's glare turns into a wide stare. She uncrosses her arms, surprised at his proposition.

Wren: **"Why are you surprised? I've told you my story already. Why else would I be here? We all have things we can benefit from each other, I think. If we are all fighting a common enemy, why fight it alone?"**

Noda: **"We still don't even know if this guy is pulling out leg! He could just be trying to infiltrate us!"**

Wren: **"On the contraire, my hot-blooded friend, we have no intentions of ruining the privacy of your humble abode. Our intent isn't to share our assets or use your hideout, and my people have the same thoughts, however as allies, we would more so coordinate missions with each other, since both of our groups have some control over two different areas. We would give you the coordinates to our place, so if you intend on traveling or doing a mission within our sector, we could give you geographical information to assist"**

They all pause for a few moments, trying to think of the situation so far. Yuri looks him in the eye. He doesn't budge. Within the depths of her mind, her ego whispers to her that this guy is nothing but bad news, but in her heart, she knew he was telling the truth.

Takeyama: **"He does have a point. Think about it, if they wanted to attack us, they would have done so already. They've sent scouts to survey our zone, probably since who knows how long ago. We've been here for over two years. That's more than plenty of time to send in a force to wipe us out. I think he's telling the truth. Yuri, you must consider his offering of an alliance"**

Yuri's ego tries gripping her judgment. She slams her eyes shut and clenches her fists to a point where they are shaking. In a sudden moment, her decision was made. All tension within her body was released in a deep exhale. With her eyes closed, eyebrows scrunched in an angry manner, looking away from Wren, she holds out her right hand.

Yuri: **"Fine…"**

Wren smiles and gives a sigh of relief. He also extends his right hand and grips hers. They both shake on it.

Wren: **"Thank you, Nakamura. I trust that we all will get along nicely"**

They release each other's grip.

Wren: **"Our group is humble, as I've seen yours is as well, so I know we will all get along fairly nicely. You all are more than welcome to our hideout anytime you please"**

Yuri: **"Bare in mind, Artemus, we are on pretty fragile terms, and I don't mean that in the slightest way of disrespect, but we barely know you, and we've yet to meet anyone else from your group. We will trust you, so don't break it"**

Wren: **"I understand. Thank you for trusting me. I will reveal the news to my leader. Goodbye for now, Afterlife Battle Front"**

Wren turns away and begins to walk in the opposite direction, satisfied at how the negotiation went. The rest of the SSS watch him as he leaves, waiting to see how the next few days might go for them, hoping for the best. Yuri is left unsure about her decision, hoping that this one does not end in betrayal. She looks down at the ground, remembering the last time she trusted an outsider.


	11. Chapter 11: Past and Present

Author's Note:

Hey, everybody! Finally out with another chapter. I believe this one is the longest yet. I sort of enjoyed making this chapter a lot! Not entirely sure why, but I enjoyed making it. Anyways, I wanted to go ahead and reply to a comment I saw posted on the chapter prior to this one. It mentioned something about Fujimaki being smart.

The reason I had Fujimaki interview/interrogate the sniper was because I figured it would be a good opportunity to show how much of a badass Fujimaki really was! Honestly, the guy is awesome! He's completely underrated, even in the anime series! I also never considered him a 'moron', like Noda. Although they share similar 'I'm a badass' / 'I'm a delinquent' attitudes, I never thought Fujimaki was really that dumb. Fujimaki was cocky, but I don't think he was a moron (except for the fact that he's the only one who can't swim). But I figured it would have been a good idea to have him conduct the interview just to kind of give him a little bit of 'play time' within the story! I plan on trying to do this hopefully with some others as well.

Also, thanks again everyone for your time in reading this story! It's seriously given me some sort of drive to get through some of my work days. I'm probably not the best writer/brainstormer out there, so I spend quite a bit of time at work figuring out the storyline to the next chapters to be honest haha! But hopefully I can hurry up a little bit (for the third time saying that). Hopefully I can keep my words this time, instead of being late on my productions! Thank you all for your positive comments and critiques! I SERIOUSLY appreciate it!

"KISS YOU LATER" -TK

Much love, Parahdoks

* * *

Three years ago…

Lightning illuminates the sky for a split second. The heavy splash of the raindrops and delayed burst of thunder deafen the ears of the soldiers of both sides of the harsh battle. Guns ablaze, projectiles suddenly piercing into random bodies of opposing troops, bodies of the incapacitated crowded the concrete field within the city square. The small flood carried a stream of crimson through, into a storm drain near the middle of the large walkway.

Hundreds of bodies clashed. With determination, both opposing forces would fight until their brakes fell off. One side had desire of power and total control; the other with righteousness burning in their hearts. Both were inclined to win, but only one would take the prize... The outcome would both end in control of the peace or evil.

A small distance away from the fight, another conflict was in progress…

The defeated old man tried lifting himself up with his trembling arms, quaking in what was his long-sleeved black robe, which was slashed all over from the conflict. He looked up with a sight of pain and despair towards both opponents. One which was a girl in soaked khaki pants and grey blouse, had grey eyes, and black hair, which ran all the way down past the small of her back, and her bangs hanging partially over her face. She held an evil smile. The other individual was a boy with short, dark, spiked hair, wearing all black baggy slacks, a short-sleeved hoodie, a fedora, a black scarf that covered his mouth, and fingerless gloves, wielding a long katana in one hand and a handgun in the other. The boy looked down at the man with less of a 'crazy' demeanor than the girl did. He held neither smile, nor a crazy look in his eye. If anything, looking into his eyes from the old man's point of view would spark more of a suspect of sympathy.

The old man began to try standing, barely even making it to his knees. He was forced down by his own injuries obviously sustained from the fight he had just endured. The girl began to chuckle.

Artemus: **"You cannot win alone, Master Romatsu"**

The man does not budge. He keeps his eyes up at his opponents, not expecting himself to be spared by the mercy of his enemies. The dark-dressed boy looked into the girl's eyes. She looked into his as well, changing her attitude completely. Her cheeks suddenly turn a slight pink. She is taken aback by his sudden glance.

Hiramo:(Nervous) **"Wh-What are you looking at, Wren?"**

Artemus: **"Mesome… You've helped me more with my ability to fight and lead than anyone has ever helped me with anything in my life… I've never been at peace with myself than ever before. And now is the most golden of times I've been able to prove it to myself"**

The man watched, barely able to move, confused at the boy's sudden notion.

Hiramo: (Confused, but flattered) **"Wren… Wh- What are you doing? We're in the middle of-"**

Artemus: (Interrupts) **"I do not care. Mesome, everything you have sacrificed for me, the tedious and strict training sessions, the lectures of leading others, sword fighting, and of course… Your love…"**

Hiramo: (Trying to hide her smile, blushing) **"Wren, stop it! We're in the middle of-"**

Artemus: (Interrupts) **"I've never loved anyone as I did you… I loved you more than anyone I've ever met, even when I was alive"**

Hiramo's smile slowly turns as soon as she hears him say the word "loved".

Hiramo: (Confused) **"Loved…? Wait… Loved as in, you ****_did_**** love me?"**

Artemus: **"Yes…"**

Hiramo: **"But… What about now?"**

Artemus looks down on the ground in slight dismay. Hiramo begins to frown and reaches towards Artemus with her hand trembling.

Hiramo: (Hesitant, murmuring) **"But Wren… I…"**

He grabs her arm and pulls her towards him and embraces her. She gives a surprised look as he holds her tightly, dropping only his Katana. Her surprised look turns into a smile and she closes her eyes, wrapping her arms around him as well. She digs the side of her face into his chest and begins to tear up. Artemus's expression is nonexistent.

Artemus: **"I'm sorry, Mesome"**

Her eyes suddenly bolt open as she hears the sound of the hammer of his handgun being cocked back. She tries pulling away in a panic, but to no avail. Her eyes are pinpoint in a state of sudden fear after feeling the cold steel barrel of his gun through her soaked hair.

Hiramo: (Yelling) **"Wren! What are you doing?! Let go! Please! Wren!"** (Crying out hysterically) **"Let go of me you bastard!"**

Artemus: (Calm) **"I love you, Mesome Hiramo…"**

Hiramo: (Prolonged yell) "**Wren~~!"**

With the flash of the lightning and roar of the thunder, he released her from his grasp. Her body fell to the ground, hole on the side of her head, bleeding into the small flood, lifeless and cold. Her grey stare, gazing into space, no life within her body, at least for now.

Artemus picked up his katana and walked over to the old man, who smiled up at him.

Artemus: **"Now, shall we finish the fight?"** (Assisting Master Romatsu)

Romatsu: **"You are a valiant man, my young Artemus… Now, we go"**

Master Romatsu slowly stands on his two feet, no longer burdened by the pain of his wounds. He unsheathes his own katana and walks towards the battle, which raged on a small distance away. Artemus continues on as well, holding both his gun and his blade. He stops and looks back at Hiramo, who lay dead in a swirling, crimson pool; her eyes coincidentally aimed at him. He felt her anger just by looking into her deep, grey gaze. Even though she was dead, Artemus could feel a shiver down his back. He could sense the unrest within her very soul, just by her gaze, which aimed directly into his eyes, even though she was dead (temporarily of course). He looked forward and continued forward, knowing what would come in the future now that his one true love had in an instant become his worst enemy. Artemus continued towards the battle.

_"Peace and righteousness could be restored once more in this world… But for this to be possible, he must be willing to break his own heart… Such an ironic twist, yes? How love must be destroyed to eradicate the evil…"_

-Master Romatsu

* * *

**Chapter 11: Past and Present**

~ 16:00 (4:00 PM) SSS HQ Conference Room; Yuri, Takeyama, and Hinata

The room is slightly dark, with only lights from multiple computer monitors illuminating all areas except the far corners of the large room. Takeyama is busy at work, sitting at Yuri's desk, doing some hard research on her personal computer. Yuri and Hinata watch over her shoulder.

Takeyama: **"Funny how close The Guild managed to place their underground area to the Scarlet Twenty's hideout. I'm quite impressed that they've yet to have been found, after these few years of constant activity especially…"**

Yuri: **"Chaa built it pretty low into the Earth. He should be coming within the next few days with a new shipment of weapons and ammo"**

Hinata: **"Finally! We've been running dry for so long, even before we were-…"**

Hinata stops himself, remembering that the SSS being held captive was an extremely sensitive subject.

Yuri: (Confused at Hinata's sudden silence) **"Huh? You okay, Hinata?"**

Hinata: (Playing it off) **"Ah, haha! Everything's fine, don't worry about it"**

Yuri shrugs and looks over Takeyama's shoulder to see his progress on the work he was conducting on Yuri's computer.

Takeyama: (Typing away at the computer's keyboard) **"Surprisingly, the Scarlet Twenty's network is pretty low-tech. I can access their files no problem. It's as if there HAS to be a catch on why it's so easy to do it…"**

Hinata: **"Well, he did say their home was open to us. His group has scouted our area some since we've been here, so I wouldn't be surprised if they had their own access to OUR computers, right?"**

Takeyama: **"That may be the smartest thing you've ever said in your life, Hinata"**

Hinata: (Grinning and taking in the 'compliment') **"Well, ya know I've always…"** (Realizes it was more of an insult-compliment) **"Hey, wait a damn minute! Are you calling me stupid?!"**

Takeyama ignores his notions and continues on.

Takeyama: (Intrigued by a potential useful file) **"Wow... This might… actually be pretty pertinent info"**

Yuri forces Takeyama over by placing her hand on his face and pushing him to the side. He grunts and almost falls over, slightly annoyed. He sighs and regains his composure, standing in the back behind Hinata. Yuri's eyes grow, also surprised at what Takeyama was able to look up.

Yuri: **"Whoa! This is… This is Artemus' file…"**

Hinata: (Surprised) **"Open it!"**

Takeyama acts as if he isn't surprised and pushes his glasses upward to fit his face. Yuri double-clicks on his file, opening up a spreadsheet with columns and rows of text.

Yuri: **"It's just his normal information… As if it were just some department store with its employees background information"**

Hinata: **"What does it say?"**

Yuri: **"Chill out! I'm reading it!"**

Yuri follows along with her eyes through the large wall of text within Artemus' file.

Yuri: **"It says…"** (Following along)

**"Full name, Wren Artemus… Age, 19 at death… Total age + time dead, 36… History/Affiliations, First 11 years as an independent wanderer… Spent 4 years in Sinister… 3 years and ongoing within The Scarlet Twenty…"**

Takeyama raised an eyebrow. Something didn't set right with him. He looked closely at the screen. Yuri looked back and noticed his confused expression.

Yuri: **"What's wrong?"**

Takeyama: **"This math is wrong. He's been dead for seventeen years now. He spent eleven years wandering this world, four years in sinister, and three years in Scarlet Twenty. The amount of time he spent in this world says seventeen, but the times don't add up correctly with the time he's spent under the history and affiliations section. According to this, he's been dead for eighteen years, not seventeen"**

Yuri looks closer and snaps her finger.

Yuri: **"Hey, you're right! Something isn't right about this! This is made up!"**

Hinata: **"Before you jump to conclusions, shouldn't you maybe keep reading?"**

Yuri continues on, clicking on files with Artemus' name on it.

Yuri: (Following along) **"In his first year of joining the ranks of the Scarlet Twenty, already Wren Artemus has achieved what one could only do in ten years' worth of success. Espionage operations were conducted under his discretion towards an enemy group for an entire year, granting The Scarlet Twenty limited, but adequate access to Sinister, evolving and improving our operations against them. During Wren Artemus' last year in Sinister, he's made countless meetings with Scarlet Twenty leadership, exposing plans and blueprints of Sinister's critical operations"**

Yuri scrolls down and notices a picture of Artemus bowing to an elderly gentleman wearing a robe. The elderly man in the picture was placing a medal around his neck as Artemus bowed at him. Yuri then notices an article in quotes under the picture…

Yuri: (Following along) **"Though it is an annual of him creating a presence within the ranks of our beloved Scarlet Twenty, I have never been given the honor to bestow the rank of Master's Advocate in this short time of duty…"**

Hinata: **"Master's Advocate? That must be a high rank or something"**

Takeyama: **"It's what it says it is, you fool… an advocate of a master. In other words, he might as well be second in command of his group"**

Yuri: **"So… He has only been dead for seventeen years… Except, he joined The Scarlet Twenty while he was in Sinister… That's absolutely cunning of him. I'm honestly quite impressed…"**

Hinata: (Surprised at what Yuri had just stated) **"Wow, Yurippe, that's pretty noble coming from you"**

Yuri: **"Anyone who can go up against an entire group made up of potentially hundreds of people all alone deserves my respect. That was bold…"**

Yuri continued on reading different files that could be of possible interest. Hinata and Takeyama also followed along, all intrigued by this group that had only heard of two nights ago.

* * *

~16:05 (4:05 PM), Unknown Area…

The grass swayed, matching the direction of the wind as it carried a small bit of chill through the air. Artemus walked along the field, passing many innocent souls passing their time just enjoying the beautiful, clear day. He walked along a dirt path, his left hand placed over the hilt of his katana on his left side and his right hand swaying as he walked. Artemus' ear was suddenly caught by the whispering of passerby's. He closed his eyes and smiled, putting both of hands behind his head, his elbows rotating forward to cover the sides of his head so no one else would notice him. He took a deep breath and continued on.

Suddenly, a melodic voice called to him from behind with a slight chuckle, **"You can't hide it, Wren. You're pretty famous here now"**

Artemus stopped in his tracks, smiling. He put his hands down by his sides. Few people on the track stop, slight amazed, beginning to gossip with one another about the Artemus and the other person who started talking to him.

Artemus: **"I don't particularly mind it. It makes me smile when I know I have done something good for people…" **(Pauses) **"What are you doing here, Kaishine?"**

The girl behind him giggled. He looked back; low and behold, there she was. Kaishine Tsukaro. Tsukaro wore a long, elegant, sleeveless, violet dress that stopped around her ankles. She also wore long, violet, fingerless gloves that ended at her forearm. Tsukaro was a short girl, looking a few years younger than Artemus, only coming up right under Artemus' chest in height. Her skin was light, her hair long and shining black, draping down her back, and ending all the way behind her knees.

The gossiping continued in their background lightly.

_"It's them! Two of the Three-Headed Beasts!" "I don't believe it!" "Wow! It's really them!"_

Artemus: (Smiles) **"Do you think it's wise for both of us to be here?"**

Tsukaro: **"Why not? We can both handle ourselves, could we not?"**

Tsukaro walks closer to Wren. He turns around and continues his stroll. She follows along next to him.

Artemus: **"Where is Ishono?"**

Tsukaro: **"He's still at the prison taking care of some business"**

Artemus: (Chuckles) **"He doesn't stop working. He's going to stress himself out if he keeps depriving his time off"**

Tsukaro: **"Master Romatsu and I have tried talking to him… Even the Warden's Advisor tried to take over so he could rest"**

Artemus sighs. He puts his hands behind his head again and continues on.

Tsukaro: **"So what are you up to now? No doubt trouble, am I right?"**

Wren chuckled, bumping into her playfully with his hip.

Artemus: **"You know it"** (Pauses) **"I like the fresh air, is that a problem?"**

Tsukaro: **"Not at all, but I do have a small bone to pick with you…"**

Artemus: (Chuckling) **"Oh? And what bone might that be?"**

Artemus looks at Tsukaro, noticing that her facial expression has gone slightly cold and serious. There is a long pause.

Artemus: **"You must mean that informal alliance I proposed to that group"**

Tsukaro: **"Afterlife Battle Front it is, right? Where does the name SSS come from? Who are they even?"**

Artemus: **"You sure have a lot of questions"** (Laughing)

Tsukaro stops and begins to raise her voice slightly, pinning her arms to her side and becoming slightly less patient.

Tsukaro: (Slightly raised voice) **"This isn't funny, Wren! We don't even know who they are!"**

Wren stops smiling. He places both of his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. People all around were watching. Crowds of people growing silent.

Artemus: **"That's enough, Kaishine…"**

Artemus releases her and puts a hand on his head, taking a deep breath.

Artemus: **"I'll explain… The Afterlife Battle Front is a group much like us. They fight evil just like us. Honestly, they're not as organized as S-20, but they're pretty powerful. They definitely could pose as a threat, but… They definitely have a certain craziness that we don't have…"**

Wren looks down in slight disappointment.

Artemus: (Smiling) **"Honestly, looking at them, it kind of makes me wish I were young again…"**

Tsukaro: **"You're nineteen years old…"**

Artemus: **"But counting the years I've been dead? I don't feel nineteen. I may look it, but I honestly feel thirty-six…"**

Tsukaro: **"Wow, you really are old as dirt"**

Artemus: (Laughing) **"I suppose you might be right"**

Tsukaro: **"So who exactly are they though? I knew they existed for a while, but…"**

Artemus: **"They're a group that targets evil; more so the group Sinister. They're like us. They're also located in an area that's pretty dangerous, so it's good we have a contact near an area we can probably combat the evil. We can get them to help us locate different hideouts and even help us fight"**

Tsukaro:(Looking down in disappointment) **"We have been losing quite a few people lately… I feel as if S-20 might be losing it a little bit…"**

Artemus: **"You might be right. We still need to replace three brigade officers and recruit a lot more people"**

Tsukaro: **"Maybe it is for the best that we ally with this group…" **(Pauses) **"Wait, if they're called the Afterlife Battle Front, why are they nicknamed the SSS?"**

Artemus: **"From my sentiments exactly, I believe the initials 'SSS' are for the name of their group in Japanese… I believe it's Shinda Sekai Sensen…"**

Tsukaro: (Giggles) **"So you can speak Japanese now?"**

Artemus: **"Very little. You promised me that you'd teach me…"**

Tsukaro: **"Nintai… Watashi ga o shimasu!"**

Artemus raised his left eyebrow at her and thought for a moment…

Artemus: **"Wait, did you just call me a dumbass?"**

Tsukaro begins laughing out loud.

Tsukaro: **"You're too funny, Wren!"**

Tsukaro skips along the dirt path. Wren scratches his head and tries following along with her.

Artemus: **"I'm serious!"**

Tsukaro continues on, giggling.

Tsukaro: (Skipping along) **"Be patient!"**

Wren crosses his arms and smiles.

Artemus: (Whispering to himself, smiling) **"That girl is something alright…"**

* * *

~17:00 (5:00 PM) SSS HQ Courtyard

Yuri stood in front of the fountain in the courtyard, reading a piece of paper that she had written on earlier. She had on her white beret, signifying of an up and coming mission. She padded on her plush headpiece and smiled. Everyone else watched as she prepared for her supposed new briefing, expecting a new mission.

Yuri: **"Okay! So I finally found my beret!"**

Everyone stood still, raising eyebrows, whistling and wondering if they were just there because she wanted to announce that she found her beret, or if she was actually going to brief them of a new mission.

Sekine: **"Umm… Okay… Good for you?"**

Yuri: (Snapping back immediately) **"I'M NOT DONE!"**

Sekine flinches back, her pupils pin-pointed and legs shivering nervously.

Takematsu: (Silently to everyone but Yuri) **"Yurippe seems as lively as ever" **

Yuri: (Slightly annoyed) **"What was that?"**

Takematsu: **"Oh nothing, carry on, Yurippe!"**

Yuri suddenly goes from an annoyed, angry expression into a lively, bright one, crossing her arms, closing her eyes, and smiling.

Yuri: **"I do have some good news, but also some kind of sort of bad news to go along with it… Nothing too serious though"**

Noda: (Excited, yelling) **"ALRIGHT! FINALLY! Another chance to kick some serious ass! I'm ready! WHO'S WITH ME?!"**

The silence that Noda has drawn from the crowd infuriates him greatly, causing his face to glow bright red, and steam rushing from his ears.

Noda: (Yelling) **"OH COME ON! Don't tell me all of you don't feel like kicking ass!"** (Glances at Fujimaki) **"Fujimaki?! I know you wouldn't let your buddy down! We're practically tag-team partners!"**

Fujimaki: (Rubbing behind his neck) **"Uhh yeah, about that… I've already slit like four throats this week, and I'm kind of getting tired of washing my blade…"**

Noda suddenly goes into a frenzy, gripping his hair tightly, straining his poor scalp.

Noda: **"Matsushita the fifth?!"**

Matsushita5 crosses his arms and shakes his head, grunting lightly a noticeable "uh-uh", signifying a no.

Noda: **"TAKEMATSU?! I know you're just BEGGING to let those muscles loose!"**

Takematsu: **"I apologize, Noda"** (Pushing his glasses up with his index and middle finger) **"But I prefer not to scratch the paint, if you catch my drift. These muscles are purely for my cosmetic needs, not for combat"**

Noda suddenly goes into a depressed state, his head hanging low, and his halberd drooping down, barely held up by his hand.

Noda: (Depressed) **"You all have failed me…"**

The awkward silence once again engulfs the entire group.

Yui: (Whispering to Hisako) **"I think the moron is a little sad…"**

Yuri closes her eyes and looks down in humiliation, suddenly slapping her palm onto her forehead with a noticeable 'smack'.

Yuri: **"If we can let Yuri Nakamura speak, she might be a little happy"**

Yusa: (Monotonous) **"I think Yusa wants Yurippe to speak as well…"**

Yuri once again slaps her palm on her forehead, leaving a noticeable red mark.

Yuri: **"Really, Yusa?! REALLY?!"**

Yusa shrugs her shoulders. Yuri pauses and regains her composure.

Yuri: **"ANYWAYS… As I was saying before this long epidemic of stupidity… This mission isn't going to be an awesome, ass-kicking, throat-cutting, bloody, gun-slinging, gruesome fight-fest… Sorry, Noda"**

Noda lets out a small whine.

Yuri: **"This mission will instead be based off of letting off some steam and having a little well-deserved fun"**

Everyone within the crowd begins to liven up, almost excited to even have Yuri mentioning some long-overdue time off.

Yuri: **"GlDeMo, if you don't mind, I might actually need you to play a little concert, if you guys don't mind it"**

Iwasawa and the other girls from the band smile. Iwasawa raises a hand up to her head, giving Yuri a thumbs up.

Iwasawa: **"Count on us!"**

Yuri: **"We're going to setup a festival"**

Everyone suddenly smiles and begins talking amongst themselves even more so than before.

Takematsu: **"Yuri…"** (Pushing up his glasses with his index and middle finger) **"What exactly is the occasion?"**

Yuri: **"I'm doing it for a number of reasons. None of the reasons being for violence or provocation of course. I'm doing it because A) I want our group to become more known throughout this world, so we can develop a good relationship with the regulars in this world. B) This is a just because thing! Why not have some fun, right?"**

Everyone cheers (except for Noda).

Yuri: **"And C…"** (Stops herself for a moment, looking directly at Otonashi)

Otonashi is taken aback by her sudden stare. She stops smiling, but no one except Otonashi really notices her sudden change in demeanor.

Yuri: **"We're once again a whole… Ya know, we never did celebrate Otonashi's return…"**

Hinata suddenly nudges an elbow at Otonashi, giving him a striking stare. Otonashi smiles and waves his hand, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. Naoi suddenly latches onto his left arm, his cheek resting against it. Otonashi is taken by surprise, his cheeks glowing an embarrassed pink. Yusa looks past a few bodies, noticing Naoi's sudden turn of affection.

Yusa: (To Naoi) **"I knew you were gay…"**

Naoi suddenly flinches away from Otonashi, his face as red as an apple. He glances angrily at Yusa, who stared at him with an emotionless face.

Naoi: (Pointing angrily at her face, his finger barely touching her nose) **"YOU..."** (Whispering to her) **"Your guts… I hate them… SO MUCH!"**

Yuri takes off her beret, noticing a long strand of hair on it. She tries putting a little sunlight on it to look at its color.

Yuri:(Yelling) **"WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE A BLONDE STRAND OF HAIR IN MY BERET?!**

* * *

~21:00 (9:00 PM) That night at the city square…

A large power-outage around the city square occurs, crowds of people cheered in front of a large, metal platform. Suddenly, the sound of guitar feedback begins to vibrate the air around them all. Suddenly, chords beautifully strummed by the hand of Iwasawa, perfectly and in a fluent motion. Suddenly, the crowd begins to roar louder than ever, as if they've been waiting this entire time for an encore. Girls Dead Monster, in one night had somehow made it to fame, despite their first appearance being interrupted. Suddenly, the deep hum of Sekine's bass guitar makes its presence known, followed by the light tap of Irie's cymbals and soft push of her bass drum pedal. As the lights begin illuminating the stage, TK takes center, captivating the female audiences with his blank, but blinded-by-a-bandana stare. He begins breaking down into simple dance moves, then suddenly into complex twists and breakdowns, as the music moved through his body like an electric current. Iwasawa began to think to herself as she got ready to sing the first line.

_"Holy crap, this dude can really dance..._

TK: **"GET SET AND GO! LET'S ROCK SOME KISSES, MISSES!"**

As TK yells out his little 'battle-cry', few girls within the audience nearly faint at the glory TK somehow began to emit.

**"****_Mugen ni ikitai Mugen ni ikiraretara Subete kanau, Demo irun na mono ga atashi wo oikondeku, Ikiru nokori jikan Yume no zahyou Yukue, Zenbu daiji na mono na no ni, Iisa kokora de chotto amai mono tabete iko, Sou iu shikou teishi bakari tokui ni natta..._****"**

Noda sat on the ground, his back against the brick wall, holding his beloved halberd on his lap. He made a deep sigh, disappointed at the lack of 'kickass-ness' involved in this so called 'mission'. A dark, female shadow begins to form from into Noda's vision from his right. As he turned his head, he noticed a quick hand being put in front of him. He looked up and noticed her dark, red-ish eyes peering into the depths of his purple gaze. He's stricken with silence, falling for her glance and taking her hand. She lifts him up and she stares at him with her emotionless and stunning glare.

Shiina: **"Why sit here all alone when everyone is having fun?"**

Noda comes to, regaining himself from her seemingly hypnotic eyes.

Noda: (Sneering) **"It's nothing…"**

Shiina crosses her arms and lowers her eye-lids half-way, giving him a very sarcastic look.

Shiina: **"You're something, Noda…"**

Noda is suddenly stricken with surprise. Not since the days before Noda even joined the Afterlife Battle Front, Shiina hasn't ever called Noda by his name. Shiina is realizes that she had done so. The shock had hit Noda so hard, Shiina could feel it resonate within her as well.

Shiina: (Surprised) **"Oh wow... That was…"**

Noda: (In awe) **"You haven't called me by my name in three years…"**

Shiina tries to hide herself with her 'carefree' attitude, glaring within her closed eyes and crossing her arms…

Shiina: **"Ugh! This is so stupid!"**

Where Yuri stood sat many of the Afterlife Battle Front members, all of them gorging on a large array of prepared food, sorted out on many, long picnic tables under a large, park gazebo in the garden of the city square. From there, a perfect view of the stage is set. Yui in particular for Hinata; he stared only at her, practically blocking everyone out. He smiled and watched.

Otonashi: **"Interesting view, huh, Hideki?"**

Hinata: **"Whoa! Wait! What did you just call me?!"**

Otonashi: **"Oh, sorry! If you don't want me to call you by-…"**

Hinata: (Interrupting with haste)** "No! That's awesome! I'd prefer it if you called me by my first name! You and I are great friends, so it's only fair, right…?" **(Pauses) **"…Yuzuru?"**

Yusa: **"You know, I think it was a bit too much putting TK as a dancer on stage..."**

Naoi: **"Nonsense. He seems to be enjoying himself up there. The girls seem to like it, too"**

Yusa: **"You can feel the estrogen from here...**

Naoi: **"But aren't you a girl, too?"**

Yusa: **"That's a stupid question, Naoi... What, are you interested in me?"**

Naoi: (Slightly abashed) **"Dammit, Yusa! Why?!"**

Otonashi smiles and laughs. Angel, who sat right next to him stuck her arm through Otonashi's and leaned in close to him, resting her head onto his shoulder. Otonashi looked down at her and smiled, leaning his head slightly to hers, and kissing the top of her head. She smiled and they all watched the performance.

The energy from the entire Afterlife Battle Front was as better than it ever was. Everyone was happy, smiling, enjoying themselves, and had no worries (other than Noda). Yuri, who sat at the end of the table, noticed a figure out in the distance. One was a familiar face, whom she recognized almost immediately as Artemus, wearing all black and equipped with his katana on his left side. Beside him was a companion of his. She was short, and had noticeably beautiful, long black hair that actually reflected light from the stage, despite it not even aimed at them particularly. Yuri perked her head up to get a better look. Suddenly, she stands up with a bright smile, waving at them with both of her hands to get Artemus' attention. He notices her almost immediately and waves back. He and his small partner walk over, avoiding the crowd as much as possible.

Yuri: **"Hey, fancy seeing you here"**

Hinata: **"Well, aren't you happy to see an ally, Yurippe! Just yesterday you weren't this excited to actually meeting him!"**

Yuri: **"Quiet, you!"**

Takematsu: **"I suppose that is a little unorthodox of you. But an ally is an ally"**

Matsushita5: **"How's it going, Artemus?"**

Wren and his partner bow at the group. Most members of the SSS who weren't stuffing their faces lightly bowed their heads, acknowledging Artemus' gratitude.

Wren: **"Evening, everybody. I see you have all taken the liberty of creating such a festive event"**

Fujimaki: (Stuffing his face, trying to talk through his food) **"Yerp! Yurrpe grt thr gurild tr mrke thrs frood! SRRR GRRRD"**

Fujimaki continued stuffing his face along with Matsushita5.

Hinata: **"Nice, dude…"**

Wren: (Smiling) **"I see… It all looks nice. I'm sure your guild didn't mind creating all this, did they?"**

Yusa: **"Actually, not at all. For some strange reason, I think they actually get themselves off in making things…"**

Naoi: **"I swear, Yusa, what is it with you and these sexual jokes?"**

Yusa: **"But I didn't intend on making an innuendo… Are you sure it's not you with a polluted mind? Did you know if you take the first letters of the words 'For Unruly Carnal Knowledge', you get the word Fu-…?"**

Yuri: (Immediately interrupting Yusa with a loud response) **"OKAAAAYYYYY! MOVING ON!"**

Wren's partner suddenly bursts into laughter, nearly tearing up. Her high pitched laugh and voice causes most people at the table to smile. Angel notices the girl particularly and is the only one at the table who does not smile. She perks her head up off of Otonashi's shoulder, staring at her with such a gaze that you swear the girl could feel. The girl notices Angel's gaze and stops laughing. They both catch each other's stare, immediately entranced. Otonashi notices their exchange of looks and notices something amazing that completely takes his mind for a spin.

Otonashi: **"Whoa… Look at Angel and Artemus' friend…"**

Hinata: (Looking at Angel, then at the other girl next to Artemus) **"Whoa, you're right! They're complete opposites!"**

Angel stands up and walks over to the girl, not taking her eyes off of her. The other girl does the same, walking towards Angel. They both stop near Yuri's seat, a couple of feet away from the table. Everyone had eyes on them. All except the concert and the sound of a crowd is heard, but is drowned out by this strange phenomena of Angel and this other girl somehow completely opposite in terms of color. While Angel wore her light-colored clothes (aside from her brown skirt), her hair was long and white, leading all the way down to the back of her legs. The other girl wore a long, black dress, with the same skin tone as Angel, and long, black hair leading down all the way to the back of her legs as well. And while Angel had deep, gold-colored eyes, the other girl had dark, blue eyes.

Artemus: **"It seems we have twins among us… I honestly didn't even notice it myself…"**

Yuri: **"Who is she, if you don't mind me asking?"**

Artemus: **"Oh, my apologies! This is my friend Tsukaro… Kaishine Tsukaro"**

Angel and Tsukaro are completely stricken by surprise at how similar they both look.

Tsukaro: (Intrigued by Angel) **"What is your name?"**

Angel: **"My name? It's Tachibana, Kanade"**

Tsukaro: (Repeating slowly, comprehending her name) **"Kanade… Tachibana. Such a beautiful name…"**

Angel: (Smiling) **"Kaishine Tsukaro is also a pretty name"**

Tsukaro: (Smiling) **"Thanks!"**

The both of them smile and give a light giggle.

Artemus: **"Well, would ya look at that! Interesting… Just a few days ago, Kaishine could barely speak. She seemed miserable for some reason. For two weeks, she barely talked, just stayed in her room and sulked. I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything, but ever since I started talking to you guys, it's as if it cured her somehow. It's interesting…"**

Yuri's heart suddenly skips, and then beats faster… She puts two puzzles in her mind together, completely stunned at what she had just heard.

Yuri: **"Wait, you said she was sick for two weeks?"**

Artemus: **"Yes I did"**

Yuri: **"And that she just got better a few days ago?"**

Artemus: **"Yes… Is something wrong, Nakamura?"**

Yuri pauses for a moment. By this time, some few other people went back to chowing down on the delicious food, while a few others seemed fairly interested in the conversation, not really understanding what Yuri was apparently seeing.

Yuri: (Smiling) **"Oh, no, nothing is wrong. I just had an interesting thought though…"**

Hinata: **"Is it something bad?"**

Yuri: (Rolling her eyes) **"No… I just said there was nothing wrong…"**

Hinata smiles and continues watching the performance, which by now has entered halfway into its second song. Yuri looks at the table and notices a few unoccupied areas on the bench.

Yuri: **"Hey, guys, make some room for Tsukaro and Artemus! Let them enjoy the food, too!"**

Matsushita5: (Excitingly) **"Here we go!"**

Matsushita5 excitingly pushes the person directly to his right (Takematsu), forcefully shoving everyone to the right of Takematsu down. Everyone Matsushita5 managed to push gives a loud yell, and Naoi, who happened to be the one sitting at the end of the table, was suddenly knocked down onto the concrete floor.

Naoi: (Yelling) **"Ouch! Jerk! That hurt!"**

Matsushita5: **"Sorry!"**

Artemus goes ahead and takes a seat, smiling. Angel goes ahead and takes her seat next to Otonashi, while Tsukaro takes hers next to Artemus. Both pairs of people sat right across from each other.

Otonashi: **"So Artemus… If you don't mind me asking, what is your ethnicity? Your last name is definitely not Japanese. I'm curious…"**

Artemus: **"My last name? You know, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what country it originates from. But my ethnic background is Japanese-American. My father is from Japan, while my mother is from America. My first name is also spelled in English as W-R-E-N, rather than R-E-N"**

Takematsu: **"Ah, an American. That is rather interesting… But if you're American, how are you…?"** (Trying to think of a way to ask a question without being rude) **"What I mean is… How did you…?"** (Rethinks the question in his head some more)

Yusa: **"I doubt those really constitute as legitimate questions, Takematsu…"**

Artemus: **"It's fine"** (Chuckling)** "I was originally born in the city of Seattle. My mother owned a small business in the city. My father played infield, or more preferably short-first for a professional baseball team in the same city. Both my parents met somehow during that game. My mother had apparently been a fan of that city's team since she was younger. Somehow they just managed to meet"**

Hinata had especially taken interest into the story. He smiled greatly, amazed that Artemus' father was really a player for Seattle's professional baseball team.

Hinata: **"Wow! You're dad played for that team?! They weren't my favorite team, but some of my favorite players were definitely on their roster! Wow! That's amazing!"**

Artemus: **"I suppose it would have been awesome for me…"** (Suddenly his voice growing depressed and less enthused) **"But I will keep the rest of the story to myself…"**

Hinata catches himself, with-holding all other questions and comments.

Tsukaro: (Trying to brighten up the mood) **"You guys must be really good at throwing parties! This is one crazy place! I can't believe you have your own personal band!"**

Yuri: (Smiling) **"Yup! Let me tell you, they weren't easy to come along!"**

Tsukaro: **"How did you meet them and get them to join you all like that?!"**

Yuri was sucker-punched by the question. How was she able to answer a legitimate question with a legitimate answer when all of them came from some world that no one would ever believe? After all, for all they know, the SSS are the only ones to ever have come out of the Afterlife School without reincarnating into a different life.

Yuri: **"We all just kind of, I guess… Erm..." **(Thinking of a white lie) **"We all just sort of came together I guess!"**

Tsukaro: (Intrigued) **"That's interesting… They're REALLY good!"**

Yuri smiles along with the rest of the group.

Yuri: **"Well, we can save a few glasses for GlDeMo later, but I would like to go ahead and propose to Otonashi…"**

Yuri's eyes suddenly widen at the thought of her own words and how she said it. She waves her hands rapidly in the air. Otonashi began faking a smile with a slight glare, realizing her words as well.

Yuri: (Yelling) **"NO! I MEAN…!" **(Regaining composure) **"I'd like to propose a toast… To Otonashi for his safe return!"**

Everyone looked at their table, confused at why Yuri said that.

Angel: **"Yuri, we can't propose a toast…"**

Yuri: (Confused) **"Huh? What are you talking about?"**

Angel: **"We have no glasses or cups…"**

Yusa: **"Or even wine for that matter…"**

Yuri's left eye suddenly twitches. Anger suddenly begins to build up humorously inside of her. Everyone could feel the anger, but unable to help the humor of the situation.

Yuri: (Yelling) **"DAMMIT! I USED TO BE SUCH A GOOD PLANNER!"**


	12. Chapter 12: Picture Perfect Memory

Author's Notes:

Hey, guys! I want to say what I said in the like most of the other chapters I managed to put together. Thank you (for the 11th time haha) for helping me and giving me the morale to continue. After seeing the Reviews, Favorites, and Follows, I've been more inclined to keep this story going. I hope I can at least make this story good enough to make it on Page 1 with a bunch of the other popular Angel Beats! FanFics. I realize I still have quite a long ways to go until I am even near that tier of writing (I consider myself barely amateur, to be honest). I hope again that I have interested many of you in this story. Every time I look at an Angel Beats! FanFic, I find myself with the desire to watch Angel Beats! (again). Hopefully it will keep giving me a little bit of insight. Again, thank you all for the positive comments and constructive criticism, as well as the Favorite and Follows.

If it's not too much trouble though, I ask if you guys could review and rate, good or bad, I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

"GOOD LUCK AND GET CHANCE!" -TK

Sincerely Parahdoks

* * *

Chapter 12: Picture Perfect Memory

0030 (12:30 AM) – City Square

GlDeMo stayed behind their stage, filling the few autographs of few people who stayed behind to meet them, praising them for their performance. TK also got his certain praise, but replace the word praise with 'TK suffocating with massive amounts of estrogen and red lipstick marks all over his face'. TK finally gave his final farewell to an excited girl who frolicked away happily after talking to him. After which, TK let his body fall backwards onto the ground, looking upward at the dark sky.

TK: **"Sweet show and kisses! WOOO!"**

The other girls in the band watch him in his exhaustion and laugh as they put their instruments into their cases, cleaning up the stage platform.

Yuri: (Handing a few bowls of food to Ooyama and Fujimaki) **"Can you guys bring these to the girls?"**

Fujimaki and Ooyama nod their heads and take the bowls of food, then walk over to the stage.

Artemus: **"So I take it you guys do this often?"**

Yuri: **"Actually, no… The last time we actually were able to celebrate anything was…"**

Yuri stopped. Hinata, Otonashi, and Angel all stopped in their tracks, their emotions suddenly turning a little more south.

Yuri: (Shakes off the small feeling with a smile) **"It's nothing!"**

Artemus: **"Well, if it bothers you, I won't force you to say anything about it, though I am very curious"**

Yuri: **"It's… A little complicated"**

The rest of the group continues working to clean up the area. As Angel puts down a bag of trash near the table, she turns her attention to Yuri and begins to speak.

Angel: **"Yuri, something is telling me they would understand if they knew. I don't think any repercussions would be created if they knew the truth…"**

Otonashi suddenly flinches at Angel's statement, remembering the event that occurred between him and Yuri the night before. He looks down in disappointment in himself.

Angel: **"I think we should tell them"**

Tsukaro cocked her head to the left and raised an eyebrow.

Artemus: **"Tell us what? Is it bad?"**

Yuri: (Trying to reassure them) **"No! No! It's… Just kind of… Umm… Unorthodox?"**

Angel and Yuri both make eye contact for a few seconds. Yuri sighs and closes her eyes.

Yuri: **"I can't remember exactly when I died, but many of us have been dead for a little over three years"**

Artemus: (Confused) **"I thought you all have been here for two?"**

Yuri: **"That's just it. We didn't appear into this world until way after we died"**

Tsukaro: (Reassuring them) **"It's not uncommon for some to reappear here several years after death. I didn't appear here immediately after death either"**

Yuri: **"That's just it… We didn't appear in this world because… We were in another afterlife before we even got here…"**

Tsukaro and Artemus both stood struck with some surprise. Tsukaro in particular took it with a slight gasp and widened eyes.

Artemus: **"Wait, so you're saying you were in another afterlife?"**

Yuri closes her eyes and nods her head.

Artemus: **"Like Kaishine said, it's pretty normal for others to appear here even years after death, but this… I've never heard of this in all the years I've been here… I've heard stories of others going into another afterlife beyond this one, or even being reincarnated, but those were all speculations…"**

Tsukaro stood speechless, putting her hand up to her mouth. She hooks her index finger and bites it, trying to think about something. Something wasn't right in her mind. Something stood out to her, but she seemed unable to figure what it was"

Artemus: (In slight shock) **"Can you explain to us what it was like?"**

Yuri looks at Angel. They both make eye contact for a good moment. Angel and Yuri both nod, agreeing to let their secret be known.

Yuri: **"It was…" **(Hesitant) **"Well… I mean… It's…"**

Angel: (Taking over the explanation; monotonous voice) **"It's a place where young individuals with heavy, conflicting emotions go to find peace before passing onto their next life. We all, everyone in the Afterlife Battle Front, were there for a while. We all had deep regrets or heavy emotions that put a heavy weight on our souls"**

Artemus nods, fascinated by this new finding. Tsukaro bites down harder on her hooked index finger, having a tiny fabric of memory flash within the depths of her own mind.

Angel: **"It is a purgatory world that acted as a medium for troubled souls who needed to find resolution so they could pass onto their next life. It was a school, quite literally. Those with troubled souls would attend this school and live a school life similar to what they probably lived in the life they just departed. Thousands of students attend the school, but most of the students are just figments of the purgatory. You would attend the school until you found peace, and then you would disappear…"**

Artemus couldn't even figure out what to say about this. Angel looks over at Tsukaro and notices she was biting her hooked index finger and had a single tear trailing down her cheek. She began to breathe unstably, trying not to sob. Yuri notices and takes a step towards her, unable to help but to feel some sort of sorrow for the girl.

Yuri: **"Hey, Tsukaro… Are you alright?"**

Artemus' senses perk up and he looks down at his short companion, noticing a single tear fall off the edge of her chin and onto the concrete. He turns to her and bends slightly to her height, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Artemus: **"Kaishine… What's wrong?"**

She looks at him. Her eyes were filled with small drops of liquid. She tried hard not to allow them to leave her eyes. She blinked twice, and the dam that was her eye-lashes, that kept her tears from leaving, gave in, and two trails both quickly trickled down her cheeks. She looked into Artemus' eyes.

Tsukaro: (Very melancholy attitude) **"I want to remember… But I can't…"**

Artemus stood straight, taken aback by her statement. His eyes slightly widened. He couldn't believe it.

Artemus: (Looking at Angel) **"Do you think… Kaishine could have attended this afterlife school you speak of?"**

Angel: **"It's very possible that she may have done so in a past life. Reincarnation isn't a question, so she could have lingering memories in her head that she is unable to grasp"**

They all pause for a moment. Tsukaro takes her index finger out of her mouth and looks up at Angel.

Tsukaro: **"Kanade…"**

Angel: **"Hmm?"**

Tsukaro: **"Will you tell me more?"**

Angel: (Smiling and nodding) **"It was actually a beautiful place. It was a large boarding school. There were thousands of other students, but most of them were just part of the world; they weren't actually human souls. They were there to help you feel more at ease within the world. They were mostly friendly and had their own emotions"**

Tsukaro: **"What was your most precious memory there?"**

Angel closed her eyes, looked down, and smiled. The image played in her head like a movie; Otonashi holding her, admitting his true feelings to her.

Angel: **"My… most precious memory…"**

Angel paused for a moment, looking down and smiling. She turned her head towards Otonashi, looking into his eyes. Otonashi flinches for a moment, and is snagged into the moment, irradiated by her gaze. He gives a mellow smile.

Angel: (Explains while keeping eyes on Otonashi, smiling; mellow, yet still monotonous tone) **"It was almost sundown. Yuzuru… Or Otonashi had asked me to take a walk with him before we both decided to leave that world and embark anew. We both had found inner resolution and decided we would go together. I knew how he felt, and I felt the same. We both stood in front of a large fountain in the middle of a flight of stairs. We both talked for a little bit"** (Paused, looking down, closing her eyes) **"He made a proposal for the both of us to stay there… To help guide those in need of resolution; the both of us… together…"**

Otonashi looked down and his eyes leered to the side in light sorrow. The low feeling of melancholy began to strike him once more as Angel gave her explanation.

Angel: **"It was surreal… I felt… a feeling I had never felt in my entire life… I felt loved, in a way I have never felt before. He explained that he wanted both of us to stay there together… But I knew if I tried to stay…" **(Looks down in slight sadness) **"It would never happen between us… Because if I were happy, I would disappear from there…"**

Tsukaro looked at her. She felt a light tug in her very own heart. She put both her hands on the center of her chest, feeling a deep sorrow within her.

Angel: **"I wanted nothing more than to stay there with him… to help guide others with him… to be with him… Because I owed it to him"** (Pauses) **"…because he gave me the most precious gift… life"**

Otonashi grabbed his arm, still looking down, trying to hold back his emotions.

Angel: **"He held me, telling me that he didn't want me to go… He told me that… He loved me"** (Pauses, looking up at Otonashi, who both met each other's gaze) **"I wanted to try staying there as long as I could, I really did… I wanted to say I love you, but I couldn't…"**

Otonashi lost eye contact, looking down, avoiding his emotions, frowning. Angel walked over to him slowly, explaining further.

Angel: **"I remember you held me; I could feel your heart beating in my own chest. I felt it, almost as if it were trying to reach you… As if you and I that close together felt some sort of…"** (Pauses) **"…resolution. When you held me, Yuzuru, my…**" (Corrects herself) **"…your heart… it was beating as if it were trying to synchronize with your own emotions…"**

Angel stops in front of Otonashi, looking up at him. He was looking down the side slightly. She softly places the tips of her fingers on his cheeks, directing his vision towards her.

Angel: **"…Even now, I feel your pulse resonating inside of me, whispering to me; your sadness, your sorrow, and most of all, your love. I feel it in my chest…"**

Otonashi looks at her, his eyes mellow and his face with a slight hint of sadness. He picks up his right hand and pulls it up to his cheek where Angel's hand still lightly touched. He placed it over her hand and smiled.

Otonashi: (Murmuring) **"Kanade…"**

Angel: **"Even though the story ended on a bitter-sweet note… Even though I broke your heart… Even though the lingering feelings of leaving the only one who has given me something more precious than anything anyone could have given to me… I felt nothing greater than hearing you say those three words… And I realized then… That I had to put trust into my next life… I knew it wouldn't be the last time we would have met… I felt resolved…"**

Angel suddenly takes her hands off his face and puts her arms around his body. She embraces him, much like how she did before they parted. She closed her eyes and dug part of her face into his torso. Otonashi put his arms around her body and kissed the top of her head.

Angel: (Almost a murmur) **"That was my most precious memory…"**

Tsukaro stood in awe, and yet, saddened by the story, her heart tugging at lingering emotions of a potential past life she can't even remember. Her fists clenched over the center of her chest. She held tightly.

Artemus: (To Angel) **"That was beautiful, Tachibana… I'm amazed everything worked the way you thought it would… How you put your entire trust into your next life…" **(Correcting himself)** "Well, your next afterlife I guess…"**

Angel: **"Even now, if we were given the opportunity to pass on into the world of the living anew, I am confident that somehow, our paths would intertwine once more…"**

Artemus: **"I suppose that's destiny at work"**

Angel keeps a straight face and keeps her face dug into Otonashi's torso. Artemus noticed Tsukaro has been awfully quiet the past few minutes. He looks at her and notices she's staring into space. She looks at him, her eyes glazed by the tears that tried forcing themselves through her lashes.

Tsukaro: (Murmuring) **"I want to remember…"**

Artemus sighs and scratches the back of his head. Suddenly, from behind a crowd of eavesdroppers, a familiar voice rings through, hoping to reassure the sad girl.

Naoi: **"Maybe I can help…"**

Yuri: (Below her breath) **"Naoi…"**

Naoi: (Looking at Artemus; Speaking very solemnly) **"Despite having the most minimal memory of her past life, and everything she potentially endured, maybe I can force it out with hypnotism…"** (Pauses) **"I remember jogging Otonashi's memory with it. Maybe it'll work with her"**

Tsukaro looks at Naoi, wiping her eyes with her wrist. She smiles and nods.

Tsukaro: **"Will it work?"**

Naoi smiles and shrugs his shoulders.

Naoi: **"I don't know. But judging by your reaction as Tachibana was explaining her story, your mind was hit with a heavy nostalgia. It caused you to receive recognizable images in your head. Otonashi had the same problem when we first met. I agreed to assist him with his amnesia problem, and he remembered every event prior to his death"**

Tsukaro looks up at Artemus. He catches her glance and smiles.

Artemus: **"I suppose there really is only one way to find out. He did say there were no drawbacks"**

Tsukaro: (Worried) **"But what happens if what I remember changes me? What would happen if I learned I was a terrible person? Or if I weren't the same person I am now?"**

Artemus: **"Kaishine, no matter what you learn about your past life, I'm not going to see you any differently than I see you now. Just don't let the old you get to your head"** (Laughs) **"You're about to embark on something no one has probably ever done in existence… You should go for it!"**

Tsukaro: (Wipes her eyes again, smiling) **"You're right!"**

Naoi: **"Good! Now if I could have you sit down at the table?"**

Naoi directs her to the picnic table, clearing it of all food and items. Tsukaro sits down and takes a deep breath He walks over to the other side and sits directly across from her. He makes direct eye contact with her deep, sapphire-blue eyes. He is slightly shaken from her beautiful gaze, moving his contact left slightly. He regains his inside-composure and regains eye contact with her once more.

Naoi: (Soft) **"Just follow my directions"** (Pauses) **"Take a deep breath and relax… Concentrate on my eyes and my eyes only"**

Tsukaro does as she is instructed and takes a deep breath, and then exhales a few moments after, holding a very steady, calm, and patient composure. She concentrates on his eyes.

Naoi: **"I am about to ask you a favor. I need to not to think about the favor, but to just do as I say…"**

Tsukaro obviously becomes entranced in his darkening, red gaze. Her mouth slowly sides open less than half an inch, completely hypnotized.

Naoi: **"Kaishine Tsukaro… All of the nostalgia-based mental images that were briefly shown in your head… remember them. Grasp them, and remember them. All of the images you barely recognized… Remember them all…"**

Naoi pauses, keeping eye-contact with her at all times. Within the very core of her mind, images begin shuffling into her brain. Countless hours of recognized voices, faces, feelings, events, and even her past death… all began surfacing into her mind.

Naoi: **"When I release you from this trance, you will remember everything you want to remember…"** (Pauses for about five seconds) **"You are released"**

Suddenly, Tsukaro blinks twice and pauses. She puts a shoulder on the table and places her forehead into her hand.

Tsukaro: **"I…"**

Artemus: **"Hmm? Are you okay, Kaishine?"**

Tsukaro: **"I… remember... everything…"**

Artemus: (Chuckles) **"Well, don't be greedy, silly! Tell us!"**

Tsukaro darts her eyes at Artemus, who immediately stops smiling. He senses something has gone horribly wrong, but can't figure it out.

Artemus: (Tried extending a hand out) **"Kaishine… Are you… alright?"**

Tsukaro: **"Yes… Sorry, I am fine… Sorry… It's just… It all is here… My past afterlife, who I was, what I looked like, and… That place… I remember"**

Angel broke away from Otonashi, walking over to Tsukaro. She walked over to the table and sat down next to her.

Angel: **"What do you remember?"**

Tsukaro: **"I don't remember my name… But I remember appearing in that school... I have no idea when… I remember seeing thousands of people… They were my friends… But then I met someone there… It's bleak, but he helped me and tried to guide me. I remember he told me something about those people not being real, and that everything was like a computer in that world… We met other real people after and we all skipped class because we thought attending would make you disappear forever. I don't remember what any of the others look like though… I just know we all spent so much time together, trying to avoid teachers and other students"**

Angel: **"What made you cry when I told my story if you don't mind me asking?"**

Tsukaro closes her eyes and tries to remember what made her so sad. Suddenly, it all came.

Tsukaro: **"Your story… I… I had a similar situation…"**

Suddenly, Yuri's eyes widened. She stopped her train of thought. Her pupils became pinpoint and a deep, freezing shiver rushed down her back, almost paralyzing her. She gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. Her face became pale white, as if she had seen a ghost. Everyone notices her reaction. Hinata runs over to her. He grabs her shoulder and arm and directs her to the bench and has her sit down.

Hinata: **"Yurippe, are you alright? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost…"**

Yuri: **"Kaishine… She's… She's the one…"**

Hinata: **"Huh? What are you talking about?"**

Yuri: **"The one in… Him… The guy that… Angel Pl-…"**

Hinata: **"Slow down! Hold on! Yurippe, slow down! Why are you in shock?"**

Yuri: **"Because Kaishine is the reason Angel Player exists!"**


	13. Chapter 13: The Love For Her Subordinate

Author's Notes:

A lot is in store for the next few chapters. As much as I love dialogue (as you could tell haha), I've been meaning to add in some quality time kicking some serious ass with the characters, including Wren and Kaishine. I've been sort of biding my time with it, but I have a story laid out in my head. I hope you all love it! I'm getting really excited releasing chapter after chapter. It still has a ways to go, so hang tight! Thank you guys again for the Reviews, Favorites, and Follows. Hopefully, it all only goes up from here. A personal goal of mine was achieved a few days ago, and I'm so happy about it. I just noticed it (I'm slow haha), that 'Until the Last Beat' finally got to page 1 with review numbers. It's made me happy, because it made me feel as if I've been able to reach a high number on something, even if it's something sort of small. It still means quite a bit to me. So thank you guys for the support! Hopefully sometime I can get a similar goal put into place for Follows and Favorites. But if you like this chapter/story, please do not hesitate to comment. If you dislike this chapter/story, please tell me haha.

Thank you, guys!

"One, two, here we go! Let's dance!" -TK

_Much love! -Parahdoks_

* * *

Chapter 13: "The Love For Her Subordinates"

01:00 AM

Artemus: **"So… That place… Angel Player… And…"** (Rubs forehead) **"Dammit, I'm so confused"**

Otonashi: **"Yuri, how come you never told us about this?"**

Yuri: **"It wasn't on a need-to-know basis-type information… There wasn't any reason to share it"**

Hinata: **"It's not important now… Though it is pretty eerie… Are you sure he was the guy?"**

Yuri: **"Well… I'm not one-hundred percent sure… But it made sense. 'The Programmer', is what he was called, created Angel Player while he lived in that world as a human. He created it to be able to control the world and to remove love from there. But the conversion program detected it, and from what I was informed, that's how 'The Programmer' turned himself into an NPC… I honestly think The Programmer was that guy in that computer lab underground near The Guild…"**

Hinata: **"It makes sense…"** (Looks at Tsukaro) **"Maybe she is the one. She may be the reason Angel Player exists…"**

Artemus: **"So let me get this straight… Kaishine ends up in… that world… She meets some guy. She fulfills her happiness in that life, passes onto the next life, the guy goes nuts after she leaves, creates this program that edits the very fabric of reality within that world…"**

Takeyama: (Quickly interrupts) **"And this world…"**

Artemus: (Caught off guard by Takeyama's interruption) **"Erm… Yeah… He hacks into these NPC people to turn into monsters when that world senses love… This is all too weird… My head is spinning right now"**

Yuri: **"Tell me about it… You're not the one who had to endure it"**

Artemus: **"So… I know this is pretty irrelevant, but… You mentioned that you destroyed that control room… And that some NPC guy… Who you think is actually Tsukaro's former life's love interest, 'The Programmer'… What happened to him? You never explained"**

Yuri looks down and gives a solemn smile.

Yuri: **"He disappeared… after he was shot"**

Otonashi: **"Wait, you shot him? Wasn't he an NPC?"**

Yuri: **"We never knew what would have happened if we shot or killed an NPC. Like characters in a video game, if you kill an NPC, they die, and their purpose ceases to exist. Generally in a video game, their bodies would disappear. His disappeared, much like how we did"**

Hinata: **"That's a pretty interesting thought. But if the NPC you shot was in fact 'The Programmer', what do you think happened to him?"**

Otonashi: **"If he did become an NPC… And if Yuri did make an NPC disappear by killing it, then he must have passed on as a result. His body didn't exist as a human body any longer. Not like ours. If his soul was within that NPC body, then he must already be gone"**

Tsukaro: **"I feel so guilty…"**

Angel smiles and puts a hand on Tsukaro's shoulder to reassure her.

Angel: **"No one knew this would happen. And as stated, that world was only a transient afterlife; a place where troubled souls go to find peace with themselves, to pass onto a new life. There was nothing that could be done. Don't beat yourself up about it"**

Hinata: **"And besides, without you, we wouldn't have these badass abilities!"**

Tsukaro tries to smile, but looks down and closes her eyes half way.

Tsukaro: (Under her breath) **"Still… I wonder what became of-…"**

Tsukaro utters a name, but is blocked out by an amplifier on stage that was on full blast. Yui is seen suddenly pummeling Ooyama on the top of his head for holding her guitar. The short kid suddenly lets out small cries, **"Sorry! I just wanted to see it!"**

Otonashi could barely understand what Tsukaro said, and begins to question.

Otonashi: **"Wait, Tsukaro, what was that you just said?"**

Tsukaro: (Realizing she accidentally said her last statement almost out loud) **"Oh… It was nothing… I was talking to myself, sorry"**

Artemus: **"This Angel Player program… By any chance, how were you able to replicate it? How were you able to transfer such a complex program into this world if it only existed within the confines of that… 'Teenage purgatory'?"**

Takeyama: **"Because of me and Angel"**

Takeyama, who sat on the far side of the picnic table, opened his laptop and logged onto it. He quickly clicked a couple of times and opened the program.

Takeyama: **"Being in that world for some time, after finding that program, Yuri, Angel, and myself were able to replicate it. Granted, we didn't know the entire coding of the program, so we had to improvise much of it, causing many bugs within the system"**

Artemus: **"Aren't you afraid there may be drawbacks? I mean, we're talking about bending reality to your wishes… Creating something out of thin air…"**

Yuri: (Interrupts) **"Everything within this world and the purgatorial world, in terms of reality, both have similar laws. Creating weapons out of nothing but clay and dirt and gaining abilities that are unique to the world of the living"**

Artemus: **"I knew we were able to do such things, but using a computer program?"**

Takeyama: **"The computer program affects reality by inputting a simple code. Granted, when you input something, it must be precise, to the very foundation of its being even. If I were to give Ooyama, our weapons expert, two buckets of dirt, if you give him a day or so, he could make an assault rifle easily. This computer program displaces reality in a way we can turn dirt into weapons. It seems unorthodox, but we're not in the world of the living, where the laws of physics apply. This world has limits, yes, but the limits, for the most part, are put in place by your lack of imagination"**

Hinata: **"Pfft! Hell, Naoi has the freakin' ability of hypnotism! What more evidence would we need?"**

Artemus: **"For all of the years I've been here, we've all been so focused on fighting the way we fought in the world of the living… I always just thought our abilities were gained through the number of years being here…"**

Takeyama: **"From what I heard, when you killed Hiramo, you disappeared into thin air soon after, and if I remember correctly, you were also able to draw your blade from nowhere"**

Artemus: **"Gee… I always thought those were just abilities I gained over time…"**

Takeyama: **"And just how would you have thought they developed? Upon noticing your abilities, I'm sure you had some sort of strong imagination, correct?"**

Artemus: **"I mean, I guess, but over the years I've been here, I just always imagined myself walking with time. Me being alone for a long while here also gave me the reason to think of ways to defend myself… I was always so scared I'd be taken… I suppose I did teach myself…"**

Takeyama: **"This world literally requires mind over matter to able full utilization of your imagination, which becomes natural ability. But since you have been here longest, you are more exposed to the world, unlike us. Angel, Otonashi, and Hinata all have guard skills and war skills with the help of Angel Player to compensate for the time they haven't spent here, unlike yourself and Tsukaro, who have been here much longer"**

Otonashi: (Confused) **"Half of this crap has me wondering what could have been in the other place… I would have done much more than just sit there and gawk while you guys fought!"**

Naoi: **"He's right… I spent years in that afterlife… I always liked manipulating people to my will"**

Yusa: (Suddenly appearing from behind Naoi; Monotonous voice) **"Just like how you manipulated me into doing your carnal needs after we interrogated the prisoners"**

Naoi: (Blushing, flustered, angry) **"WHAT?! That didn't happen! You were screwing with my head back there! You tried to tease me!"**

Yuri: (Face-palming)** "Oh dear god, I don't even want to know…"**

Naoi: **"No! It's not even like that! She tricked me! You should have seen her!"**

Yusa: **"But Naoi, they would have seen me indecently"**

Naoi: (Yelling) **"Shut up, you!"**

Yusa: **"Sorry, Naoi. I forgot you were attracted to…"**

Naoi immediately smacks his palm over Yusa's mouth. She speaks, but her voice is muffled by his hand. Naoi gives her a harsh glare. Yusa looks at him, with his hand over her mouth. She blinks twice. Naoi takes his hand off her mouth slowly, keeping his glare.

Naoi: (Whispering to Yusa) **"Your guts… I hate them…"**

Yusa: **"Oh dear"**

Yuri gives an angry smile, putting her hands on her hips.

Yuri: (To Artemus) **"You see what I deal with now?"**

Artemus: **"Indeed"** (Laughs) **"But I envy your close and humorous bond between you and your subordinates. Honestly, looking at you guys now, it makes me smile, seeing how close you are with them"**

Yuri snaps to a more professional manner, possibly pleased with Artemus' comment.

Yuri: **"Of course… I'd give everything I have to keep them around…"**

Artemus smiles at her.

Artemus: **"You're a better leader than most then"**

Artemus looks down at Tsukaro, who seemed fairly satisfied with her past and with her memories, as well as the time she spent with the Afterlife Battle Front. She looks up at Artemus and smiles.

Artemus: **"Are you ready, Kaishine?"**

Tsukaro: **"It is getting late, isn't it…"**

Artemus: **"It's almost one"** (Chuckles)

Tsukaro: (Smiles) **"Then to home we go!"**

* * *

Somewhere underground… 01:15 AM

Chaa rubs his hand along the side of his neck, squinting at a large blackboard with some science formula written on it. He looks over at a skinny male to the far right of the dim-lighted room. His eyes raced from left to right at the formula, trying to decipher it. After a moment of reading, he glances to the far right of the room at a skinny male with long, dark hair, and wore a lab coat; his arms supporting his body over a table-top with a formula sheet.

Chaa: **"Something is missing! But it's such a simple solution to the equation! So what is missing?! If only we knew, we could create the most powerful blades this world has ever seen! I just don't get it!"**

Kiero: **"Maybe the material doesn't exist yet. Maybe we have to create the material"**

Chaa: **"Dammit! You might be right… Maybe… But if that's the case, it would call for a new formula within this one"** (Gasps) **"Wait!"**

Chaa snatches a piece of chalk from the blackboard sill and begins writing down a series of numbers and letters, trying to figure out the scientific formula to his new creation. His mad jotting hastily shortens the chalks lifespan and forces him to grab another, jotting more madly than ever.

Chaa: (Yelling) **"Kiero, I got it!"**

Kiero: (Reads it and attempts to comprehend it) **"By god… I think…"** (Reads it again) **"I believe my eyes are deceiving me! Chaa, you… You did it!"**

Chaa: **"Marrowmium… That's what we need!"**

Kiero: **"I'll send a message to Yurippe right away!"**

Kiero happily begins dashing to the door. Chaa's attitude changes and he quickly runs over to Kiero and snatches him by his left arm.

Chaa: **"Wait! You can't yet!"**

Kiero: **"Wait, why? We have the formula to create what we've been researching for the past six months… Why wouldn't we tell them of our discoveries?"**

Chaa: **"Because we don't have the material yet! We can't just tell her something like that and not have a sample. We have to procure a piece of Marrowmium and create a prototype first. Otherwise we're just showing her a bunch of letters and numbers that they wouldn't understand"**

Kiero: **"You're right… But how exactly are we going to get our hands on it?"**

Chaa: (Releasing Kiero's arm)** "I've traveled all different kinds of mines in this region… But not once have I seen anything like this… We will have to do some discovering"**

Kiero: **"Can't we just try creating it?"**

Chaa: **"Yes, but we need a good catalyst"** (Sighs) **"The use of this weapon I envisioned is to create a bend within the reality that it has some sort of friction with. In theory, the weapon would create some sort of shock between the weapon itself and its target, thus launching it in the direction it is swung"**

Kiero: **"With something of that magnitude, you may need something that's radioactive to act as an excellent catalyst…"**

Chaa: **"I know exactly where to find something of that sort… The problem is, it might be within enemy territory, or quite literally under their feet. It's within the depths of the mountains to the west. Far west… Past Sinister territory…"**

Kiero: **"So we'll need to call Yurippe…"**

Chaa: **"I'm afraid so… But I'd hate to request them to go into enemy territory like that…"**

Kiero: **"Sinister is the biggest threat within this region. Without this weapon, we may not have a chance of defeating such a large army"**

Chaa: **"You're absolutely right"** (Concerned, putting his fist on his chin) **"Yurippe apparently had a few run-ins with some new allies from what I hear, so maybe…"** (Ponders) **"But I'm trying to keep this project within the Afterlife Battle Front… Dammit!"**

Kiero: **"We may need additional support if we want to complete it"**

Chaa: **"That's assuming she decides to take the requested mission… We'll be going with her also"**

Kiero: (Alarmed) **"What?! We?! Why?!"**

Chaa: **"We're the only with the knowledge to create it" **(Opens the door and begins to walk out) **"I'll notify Yurippe before going to bed. Get some rest, Kiero"**

Chaa leaves. Kiero is shivering all over, shocked to hear that he may be embarking their most dangerous mission yet (assuming Yuri takes on this challenge).

Kiero: (Shivering; nervous) **"Oh man, what did I just get myself into?!"**

* * *

That following morning at 11:30 AM, SSS HQ briefing room…

Noda and Shiina, the last of the entire SSS group, enter the room. Chatter between all members is at a high volume, as they wonder what happened to be on the agenda for today's activities. Yuri picks up her white beret and fits it on her head and places her hands on her hips, looking upon her subordinates and grinning. Shiina goes into her dark corner where she is not seen, as usual. Noda rudely parks his hind quarters in-between Fujimaki and Ooyama on the sofa. Both of them grunt and give a slight growl.

Noda: **"Sup, guys!"**

Ooyama: (Below his breath) **"Dick…"**

Angel walks over to the door from her seat and shuts it. Yuri picks up a remote on her desk and points it at the ceiling lights, pressing a button and darkening the room. The chatter silences and the large monitor on the wall flashes white with the SSS logo rotating around with the name of the program flashing on the bottom of the screen 'Operation Manager'. Above the rotating logo, in bold lettering, the operation name flashed, '**Operation: No Man's Land'**.

There was a slight feeling of uneasiness, as the name itself bears a slight intimidation towards the entire group, aside from Yuri and Noda. They knew for sure that it was game time, but the question would soon arise: Are they ready for it?

Yuri: **"Good morning, Afterlife Battle Front!"**

Noda: (Yelling) **"HI YURIPPE!"**

Yuri clears her throat, slightly startled by Noda's sudden outburst of happiness.

Yuri: **"Umm… Was that really necessary, Noda?"**

Noda: **"I know what's about to happen…"**

Yuri: (Rolls her eyes) **"No you don't…"**

Noda: **"Uh-Huh!"**

Yuri: (Sarcastic, yelling) **"Fine, Noda, fine! We're about to embark on a mission involving you kicking ass! There, are ya happy?!"**

Noda: **"Quite satisfied"**

Shiina: **"This is so stupid…"**

Yuri: (Regaining bearing) **"Yes, well… This is Operation: No Man's Land…"**

Takematsu: **"Sounds uh…"**

Ooyama: (Finishing Takematsu's statement) **"…Intimidating as hell?!"**

Fujimaki: **"Ah, don't worry, Ooyama, even if it is pretty dangerous, we got this, right?! Me and you!"**

TK: **"Sounds real tasty, babes!"**

Yuri: **"Yes, I warn you all, this operation will be dangerous"** (A more solemn voice) **"And I will be honest with you all... It isn't going to be a pushover. It's nothing like the past missions we've done… Operations: 'Parachute', 'Tornado', 'Defensive', 'Rebuild', or even Operation: 'Getting Started'. Even the mission Shiina, Noda, Otonashi, and Yusa composed and orchestrated potentially pales in comparison to this up and coming mission"**

There was a silence. The eeriness could be felt throughout the entire room. Everyone had a small sense of fear freezing within their very cores.

Yuri: **"If you're still squeamish, you'll have to learn how to get over it. We will all be fighting. I will need every single one of you… Even the diversion unit"**

Iwasawa: **"Wait, you want us to play music in a mission like this?"**

Yuri: **"No. You all will be fighting, too"**

Everyone's respiratory tract suddenly skips, causing sudden gasps all over from Yuri's seemingly blunt-forced order. Every GlDeMo member's eyes suddenly grow, quaking with fear.

Hisako: **"Wait, are you kidding?! W-We can't fight!"**

Irie: **"We don't even know how to use guns!"**

Sekine: **"What is this nonsense?!"**

Iwasawa: **"Yuri, there's no way we can fulfill that!"**

Yuri: **"I understand where you girls are coming from, and I respect that, but we need every single body for this mission"** (Going into an epic monologue) **"Look at your patches… All of you, do it"**

Everyone looks at their shoulder, eyeing their Afterlife Battle Front patches with the shield and the words 'rebels against the evil'.

Yuri: **"We've no longer taken up the slogan 'rebels against the god'. Because the god has given us a contract…"** (Corrects herself)** "…No, a duty to fulfill. Your patches read 'rebels against the evil'. We're all obligated to remove and cleanse this world of those guys. And this mission is a huge step in advancing this campaign… We can't back out just because we are scared"** (Pauses, biting her lip) **"You don't think I'm scared, too?"** (Becoming slightly more solemn and calm) **"I'm terrified… I don't want to lose any of you again… I really don't… But this is something we all have to put 200 percent into. If we don't, we're allowing THEM to keep on with their merciless rampage"**

There is a still silence. Everyone is quiet and looking down, even all members of GlDeMo.

Yui: (Calm, sense of sadness in her voice) **"I'll fight, Yurippe. You know I wouldn't let you down…"**

Iwasawa: (Sorrow) **"But Yuri… That's just it… We've been the diversion unit for so long. We don't know how to fight. Irie had her hand shredded during the 'Operation: Getting Started'. Granted, it was a quick recovery, I'm worried that much more than just that could happen to us. We have no idea how to defend ourselves, much less be on the offensive if needed"**

Yuri: **"Which is why I am splitting you girls up…"**

Sekine and Irie suddenly grip one another's hands in fear of separation.

Irie: **"No! We can't! We can't be separated! We've never been a part since we've known!"**

Sekine: **"Yurippe, you have to let us be together! We can't be separated!"**

Yuri closes her eyes, looks down and sighs.

Yuri: "**Having two non-fighters in the same group will be conflicting with the abilities of the group I put you both in…"**

Both girls both look at Yuri, both their eyes shaking in fear. Yuri rubs her nostrils and her brows scrunch together in slight frustration.

Yuri: **"I'll maybe consider it…"**

Sekine and Irie both smile and glance at each other before hugging one another. Yuri looks back up at her group and continues briefing her subordinates.

Yuri: **"There will be four squads. I have taken it upon myself to pick the leaders of each squad already. The past four years of observing your fighting style, ability to work under stress, and your wit, your Afterlife Battle Front squad leaders are as followed: …Angel, you will lead Squad 1"**

Angel: **"As you wish, Yuri"**

Yuri: **"Shiina, you will lead Squad 2"**

Shiina: **"The force of one-hundred men plus those following me will be my enemies' opposing force…"**

Noda sneers at her slightly-arrogant remark.

Noda: **"My squad will beat yours out, miss 'I love small, stuffed toys' "**

Yuri: **"Noda, you're in Shiina's squad..."**

Noda: **"WHAT?! You're serious?! I'm totally a fit leader! Why put me as HER subordinate?!"**

Yuri: **"Because you both in the same group working together could create a good offensive"**

Noda sneers, digging his rear end into the seat and slouching down, holding onto his beloved halberd.

Noda: (Murmuring) **"Pfft… Can't believe this… Barely acknowledged my amazing ability to think quickly and make smart moves…"**

Yuri: **"Yusa, you will lead Squad 3"**

Yusa: (Slightly alarmed, but maintaining her monotonous manner) **"But why me?"**

Yuri: **"You will be a communications group. You will be in the fight, but more so behind Squads one, two, and three"**

Yusa: **"You will teach me how to shoot though, right?"**

Otonashi: **"Wait, you don't know how to shoot a weapon?"**

Yusa: **"I've always just been an on-looker in all of our operations. I've never actually partaken in within any of our conflicts"**

Otonashi hooks his index finger and places it below his chin, trying to remember all of the operations they've partaken in with Yusa.

Otonashi's thoughts: **_"Wow, I guess she never really did fight with us come to think of it…"_**

Yuri: **"And Squad 4 will be led by Artemus"**

Suddenly the doorknob in the back of the room turns, slowly opening with a small creaky sound. Two silhouettes form into the doorway into the center of the room. It was Artemus and Tsukaro.

Artemus: **"I apologize for the tardiness. We kind of live far away"**

A slight exhale of relief is made by a few SSS members as their two allies entered the conference room a little late.

Yuri: **"Don't worry. I was appointing our squad leaders. Artemus, you will be taking Iwasawa, Naoi, and of course Kaishine"**

Tsukaro smiles at Yuri. Yuri happens to catch her smile, which was obviously directed towards her. She stops talking and turns her attention to Tsukaro.

Yuri: **"Did I do something, Kaishine?"**

Tsukaro: **"Oh… No, Yuri… It's just…"** (Becoming slightly bashful) **"You're calling me by my first name… I suppose that would mean we're friends"**

Yuri is taken aback slightly by her statement, and the tips of her cheeks turn slightly pink with some happiness.

Yuri: **"Oh… Yeah… I don't know, I guess it just seemed more natural to call you by your name… I'm not sure why"**

Tsukaro: **"I like it, thank you, Yuri!"**

Yuri looks back at her table to return where she left off, trying to hide her smile.

Yuri: **"Angel, Squad Two will consist of Fujimaki, Ooyama, Otonashi, Hinata, and yourself. Your group will be in the very front; the spearhead of the entire operation"**

All who were chosen in the group nod their heads with a serious look on all their faces.

Fujimaki: **"Will do, Yurippe. Count on us to get it done!"**

Ooyama: **"Yeah! I'll snipe those bastards right out! They won't even know what hit 'em!"**

Fujimaki: (Yelling in excitement) **"HELL YEAH! That's what I'm talking about, man!"**

Matsushita5: **"I guess the little man is letting out his inner monster. I can see the fury burning in his eyes. I like it!"**

Yuri: **"Shiina, your group will have Noda, Hisako, Takamatsu, and Matsushita the Fifth"**

They all nod. Noda turns his head in disappointment of being led by Shiina.

Shiina: **"I don't think being your leader as much as you dislike being in MY squad. This isn't about you, Noda. Stop being stupid"**

Noda looks at her cold, red eyes, slightly intimidated. He turns away in anger, forcing to accept the facts.

Yuri: **"Yusa, your group will be communications, and it will be composed of Takeyama, Sekine, Irie, and TK. You will also be receiving another member as soon as the other two people get here. Don't worry about who they are…"**

Irie and Sekine both hug each other in happiness, excited to head that they are staying together in the same group.

Artemus: **"I'm quite curious, Nakamura. Who are you going to be with?"**

Yuri: **"An old friend who orchestrated almost this entire mission"**

Otonashi: **"An old friend? Who on Earth would that be?"**

Yuri: **"Don't worry about it. You'll find out later…"**

Otonashi raises his eyebrow at Yuri. Yuri continues her briefing.

Yuri: **"We will be headed about seventy miles northwest of our location to a small, mountainous area. It's slightly elevated, but it's also covered with foliage and wooded areas. We will camp out there for as long as we need. No fires. We can't risk compromising our position, considering the enemy would be a couple miles near us when we set up"**

Takeyama: **"I don't do well with nature, Yurippe, just so you know"**

Yuri: **"Sorry, Takeyama. Hike up your skirt and deal with it. We all have to"**

Takeyama: **"Come on… Call me Christ!"**

Yuri: (Ignoring Takeyama) **"We leave this afternoon. We have a long travel ahead of us… So bring a backpack and with a few changes of clothes… and of course your weapons. If anyone has objections to the mission, talk to me later about it"** (Pauses) **"Alright! Get your things ready, guys! Operation, start!"**

* * *

A few minutes later, few members of the SSS stay in the room, talking amongst each other. Iwasawa and Hisako both chat, knowing they will be splitting into separate groups.

Hisako: **"We'll be alright. We both have pretty reliable people on both our teams"**

Iwasawa: **"Yeah, I trust them. I just hope we can trust Yuri…"**

Hisako: (Crossing her arms in a nervous fashion) **"I don't know… She's changed these past few years… She doesn't seem the same, you know?"**

Iwasawa: **"She just cares more about all of us than she's really ever shown. Haven't you noticed? I know it's a little messed up the way it may seem, but if you look at it, she's treated us with more respect and care than she did when we were in that other place…"**

Hisako: **"I just hope you're right…"** (Pauses; smiles) **"I'll miss you, Masami!"**

They both hug and say their farewells. Yusa walks over to Sekine and Irie, both who were talking to each other about the mission and what Yuri said.

Yusa: **"Miyuki… Shiori… I have something to ask you both… A huge favor actually…"**

Naoi looks over at Yusa, who was talking to both Sekine and Irie in a manner he's never seen her in before. As Yusa talked to them, she spoke in a quiet, undetected voice, so no one could hear her. Yusa's body language was in a manner that was unusual. Her legs were sort of crooked at the knees at a tiny angle, her feet were pointed inward slightly, the ends of her cheeks were pink, and her arms were straight with her fingers fidgeting together behind her back.

Sekine and Irie are both seen suddenly smiling after Yusa finishes talking, both hugging her. Yusa is taken by surprise.

Irie and Sekine: **"We'll do it! For you!"**

All three walk out of the room. Yusa tries regaining her monotonous composure, but ends up smiling as she walks out with her cheeks bright pink. She looks back at the group, hoping nobody paid attention to her 'embarrassing' composure.

Hinata and Yui both were in the hallway talking to each other about the mission. Yui looks into Hinata's eyes with such an innocence that causes Hinata to look away slightly, smiling and blushing.

Yui: **"I'll miss you, Hideki…"**

Hinata: **"Oh, come on, Yui…"** (Chucking) **"Don't do this to me. You know we'll see each other a little bit. Maybe not as much, but we will definitely"**

Yui: **"But with me practicing with GlDeMo and you with your experimentations with your guard skills… We barely see each other as it is!"**

Hinata chuckles once more. He looks into her eyes, smiling. Yui looks up at her beloved, tears just barely forming in her eye with a shine that reflects a sliver of light into Hinata's. He raises his hand slowly and strokes her cheek with his index finger.

Hinata: **"You know I'll always be here for you, Yui. Just say the word, and I'll rescue you"** (Almost to a point of tears) **"I love you"**

Yui smiles and quickly embraces his body, digging the side of her face into his chest, allowing a small tear to drop. She smiles.

Yui: **"I'm not sad"** (Giggling) **"Don't worry. I know you love me. And I love you, too, Hideki!"**

Yui suddenly spaces herself from him. He looks down at her and smiles. With quirkiness, she quickly dances up on her tiptoes and lands a small peck on Hinata's lips. He returns her kiss and grabs her once more to hug her.

In the conference room, Yuri, Artemus, and Tsukaro all stood inside. Yuri was looking out the window into the courtyard where a few of her subordinates walked into the sunlight, talking and getting some fresh air. Yuri turned around with Artemus and Tsukaro both looking and smiling at her.

Tsukaro: **"We'll take care of them. Don't worry, Yuri!"**

Yuri: **"I'm not worried. I trust you both completely"** (To Artemus) **"And Artemus, I apologize if we both got off on the wrong foot. I was wrong to judge before actually meeting you"**

Artemus: **"Nakamura, I understand completely. Don't apologize. It's not your fault"** (Pausing) **"I was able to tell you were a good leader when I first saw you"** (Smiling) **"When you spoke to me when we first met, you were worried I was going to attack your subordinates. I knew you felt threatened, which is why I left so quickly without question. It's because you care more about your own more than your own self. And I admire that about you"**

Yuri: **"Wow…"** (Pondering to herself) **"I suppose it's a good observation on your part…"** (Pauses) **"I love everyone here… I honestly don't know how else to put it than that. They're my family… They're my everything… Even putting them through this mission hurts me more than any bullet, blade, wound, or physical pain. If even one of them were to go missing…"** (Demeanor suddenly turning downward) **"I don't even want to think about that"**

Artemus smiles and takes a deep breath.

Artemus: **"The best thing a leader can do is put all her trust into her subordinates' skills. I know they'll be alright. The enemy might be strong, but I know the Afterlife Battle Front will be okay"**

Yuri smiles and chuckles a little bit. She looks out the window, down at the socializing bunch. She bends over at the window and rests her elbows on the window sill, putting her chin on her palms. She smiles and cherishes the moment. Even though they were about to embark on the most challenging of missions, she knew they would try their hardest to succeed. Though the SSS, she knew, is a group not to be underestimated, part of her couldn't help but to hold such a pessimism that causes her to feel a sense of dread.


	14. Chapter 14: My Way or the Highway

Author's Note:

This chapter was procrastinated way too long. I apologize, guys. I have the plot already written down for the next chapter, so it should be a breeze to post later on. Should only take a few days, or at least that's what I am hoping. I hope you guys like it!

**"DIVE INTO YOUR BODY!" –TK**

Much love! -Parahdoks

* * *

Chapter 14: My Way or the Highway

17:00 (5:00 PM) – A long trail, Mile 5 out of 70.

The large engine roared loudly, powering the strong, but slow tractor-looking vehicle at a whopping six miles per hour. Everyone sat in the back along the steel rails. The vehicle was sort of small, but had a large bed behind it. It had four, large tractor wheels and two exhaust pipes coming from the front of the engine. Chaa sat in the driver's seat, separated from everyone else, who sat in the back, all scrunched together, all pulled on a trailer hitch that was connected by the back of the heavy hauling vehicle. The spacing was fairly small, but they made it work, even though the comfort was at a bare minimum. Otonashi allowed Angel to sit in front of him between his feet, and her resting her back on his body. His arms held around her stomach, keeping her secure and comfortable. Yui and Hinata did the same, allowing some space to be made for everyone else. The ride for the most part did not have much talking. The uncomfortable seating only piled onto the uncomfortable silences.

Otonashi: **"This thing definitely looks like one of those farming vehicle things I saw in a documentary" **

Noda: **"Please tell me he's going to upgrade this piece of crap…"**

Kiero: **"We've rarely used this for transportation like this. I apologize on behalf of Chaa and myself. This was only really meant for transportation within The Guild. We never expected to use it on a seventy mile journey, but rest assured, it is extremely durable and will last for hundreds upon hundreds of miles on one tank. In fact, we've only had to refill it four times since we've had it!"**

Yuri: **"Well, this thing's moving at about ten kilometers per hour… We should be at our site in about eleven more hours"**

Everyone gives a disgruntled and frustrating groan.

Yuri: **"Oh, shut up! We're lucky we have transportation. Be thankful we don't have to walk…"** (To herself) **"Quite frankly, I don't think my poor feet could take that pain either…"**

Yusa: **"Maybe if there weren't this many people here, it would be going a little faster"**

Yuri: **"No, we are not kicking anyone off of the tractor, Yusa…"**

Yusa: **"I said nothing…"**

Yuri raises an eyebrow at Yusa. Naoi, who sat directly to Yusa's left looked at her with an odd stare, wondering why she'd state such a ludicrous proposal.

Naoi: **"Why would you… Never mind"**

Yusa: **"It was a joke, Ayato"**

Yusa caught herself, knowing she had accidentally said his first name. She smacks her mouth shut with both of her hands.

Yusa: (Correcting herself) **"Oh, sorry, Naoi"**

Naoi's mind is taken slightly on a joyride from her small mistake. He says nothing, at a loss for words, not realizing that Yusa actually saw him as a friend. Everyone else looked at her in an awkward, putting her in an odd disposition.

Yuri: **"Yusa, are you alright?"**

Yusa: (Regaining her monotonous manner; thinking of a legitimate and obvious excuse) **"It is nothing. I'm just tired… I just read a bunch of our files, so all our names are stuck in my head…"**

Naoi: (Almost not buying into her story) **"…Right"**

Hinata: **"So, Yuzuru, you're finally going to get the chance to put those war skills to the test, aren't you?"**

Otonashi: **"I suppose, but honestly I'd rather have your abilities than my own. I don't like the idea of being a fighter…"**

Angel: **"We tried to figure out the problem, but we ended up going in circles with the testing. It wouldn't work for you. We can't figure out why"**

Takeyama: **"Even I don't understand it, and I'm Christ"**

Yuri: **"If only there was a way to get the actual copy of the program…"**

Artemus: **"Well it's like you said, this world's boundaries are pretty minimal. Have you ever considered attempting to create a rift between that world and this one?"**

Everyone's eyebrows are raised at the notion, completely taken by surprise.

Takeyama: **"That's science fiction at its greatest! It would be impossible to do so. If both worlds are anything like I think, they're completely different universes"**

Noda: **"Wait just a damn minute! Then if we're in completely separate universes, how the hell are we on Earth still?! We might as well be within some Siamese version of the living world!"**

Everyone looks at Noda, who crosses his arms over his tall halberd. Silence kicks in quickly, and the sound of the tractor motor seems to overcome the chatter. No one speaks, completely surprised at what Noda had just said.

Yui: **"Whoa… Moron has some interesting words today. I almost feel stupid now"**

Noda eyes her angrily, but is mostly unaffected by her half-insulting statement.

Tsukaro: **"That is correct. We are still technically on Earth. At least, I'm 90 percent sure. Many of the geographical features are the same and even the architectural structures"**

Takeyama: **"The worlds of the living and dead may be interlaced with one another, however purgatory and heaven may be completely separate from this one. And even if there were a way to travel between both worlds, we would have no idea how to create the coding necessary to transfer matter from one dimension into another. Essentially that is exactly what we are talking about here"**

Artemus: **"You seem very sure of this"**

Takeyama: **"I've already thought of such scenarios. I've already tried thinking of ways to attempt transferring a life from this world into the world of the living"**

Artemus: **"And what was your conclusion?"**

Takeyama: **"If we successfully found a way to transport a human from this world, the world of the dead, into the mortal world, there would be many different things that could happen. For instance, if we had the ability right now to open up a dimensional rift into the world of the living, I can foresee hundreds of different outcomes. One in particular being the sudden displacement of matter from an object or person that managed to step foot into that world. It could possible unravel the very fabric of reality and create rips within that world. The spirit world would eventually swallow the world of the living. And if you want to toss religion as a factor, technically this world is here to house lost souls, right? Well, the properties of the world of the living and the world of the dead are most certainly not the same. If someone from the world of the living were to be killed, he or she would probably just die. Their soul would probably end up in a void where a world should be, since this world consumed the world of the living. Or depending on how dimensions could be created, a human that dies here for the first time could end up creating another dimension outside of this one… A world for the dead beyond the world for the dead…"**

The silence once again conquers the confused mass of people. Irie is slightly uncomfortable.

Irie: **"This is creeping me out…"**

Artemus: **"This is making me wonder if you've actually experimented with inter-dimensional travel"**

Takeyama: **"As fun as that sounds, I don't think it would be the wisest thing to do…"**

Yuri: **"Wait a minute, Artemus, aren't you capable of doing something like that?"**

Artemus: **"Not necessarily… Though I can technically "leave" this dimension… I don't leave. This world has layers. I'm able to put myself within a layer, a void more or less, and use it to my advantage. The problem with that is, I can't tell where I reappear. The distance is the same amount travelled for how ever many paces I happen to take"**

Yuri: **"So you're not actually traveling in and out of dimensions…"**

Artemus: **"I suppose if you want to think of them as pockets within this dimension, then sure!"**

Takeyama: **"Like I said, traveling between worlds is pretty near impossible"**

Artemus: **"But you do admit that it IS possible?"**

Takeyama: **"I mean, I guess, but unless you can figure it out, then your guess is as good as mine"**

Artemus gives an elongated sigh and looks up to the sky, his back slouching against the steel rail of the bed of the tractor.

Artemus: **"But if we ever can figure it out… I'd love to see my parents…"** (Thinking for a moment, becoming slightly depressed) **"I-… I wonder what they're up to now. I wonder if they're still alive"**

Tsukaro: **"As depressing as the topic may seem, and at the risk of bringing up bad memories, how did you pass away originally, Kanade?"**

Kanade brushes the hair from the front of her shoulders and allows it to drape behind her and over Otonashi's chest. She gives a light smile and begins to speak without any regret or shame.

Angel: (Monotonous, yet lively) **"It's okay, Kaishine. It was a long time ago"**

Yui: **"Come to think of it… You never really explained to us what happened… I'm pretty interested as well"**

Angel gives a light smile, looking up and remembering the moments leading up to her death.

Angel: **"It was a heart problem. When I got older, I began to develop heart problems. I was forced to undergo some treatment. I managed to live for a little while longer with the transplant..."**

Angel closes her eyes, smiles, and interlocks her hand with Otonashi's. She turns her head slightly and rubs the back of her head against his chest as well. He smiles humbly and kisses the top of her head. Artemus raises his eyebrow, catching onto her drift.

Angel: **"I still don't know how to thank him enough for allowing me to live longer"**

Artemus: **"So I take it your beloved has a play in this"**

Angel looks up, directing her attention to Otonashi, smiling and giggling quietly.

Artemus: **"So you both had a close relationship when you were alive?"**

Angel: **"No. But it happened to be that his heart was the one that was transplanted into my body when he died"**

Tsukaro: (Surprised and impressed) **"Wow! What an amazing twist of fate!"**

Artemus: **"So last night… When you were explaining you memories, I suppose you expressing your gratitude to Otonashi had to do with him literally giving you his heart?"**

Angel nods her head once

Artemus: (Smiling) **"I suppose it is a small world. So many coincidences we've ran into so far. Good and bad"**

Irie: **"Good and bad?"**

Artemus: **"Indeed"**

Irie: **"Like what?"**

Artemus: (Sighs, trying to remember all events) **"Well, you have Tachibana's and Otonashi's ordeal, Tachibana's and Kaishine's similar identities, Kaishine being within that purgatory in a past life, Yuri apparently meeting that Programmer guy… And I guess my small past run-ins with Mesome"**

Yuri: **"Oh yeah… You and her used to work together, didn't you?"**

Artemus: **"Yes, we did. How do you know?"**

Yuri is suddenly taken by surprise. She realizes she has said too much.

Artemus: (Smiling) **"It's fine. We know you've all made a presence within our network"**

Takeyama: **"So that's why it seemed kind of easy…"**

Artemus: **"Allies spread information when possible. There are no secrets we hold against you guys"**

Yuri: (Fidgeting with her fingers nervously, looking down in guilt) **"Yeah… We probably should have just asked you guys instead… Sorry"**

Tsukaro: **"It's okay. For one, what's done is done, and two, we did it on purpose so you guys could see we mean no harm"**

Takeyama: **"I guessed that would be the case"**

A pause silences them. Artemus looks around, trying to take in some of the scenery. He looks ahead at the driver, Chaa.

Artemus: **"So the driver… Chaa is it? What's his story if you don't mind me asking?"**

Yuri: **"Chaa is the leader of The Guild"**

Tsukaro: **"The Guild?"**

Yuri: **"Yup! It's a giant group of workers who specialize in building weapons and equipment for us. They're extremely skilled craftsmen. It's a shame we don't have nearly as many as we did in the other afterlife, but still, they're all still perfect to me. Chaa is their leader"**

Artemus: **"So they've been with you guys since before your time here I presume?"**

Yuri: **"Yes. He handles everything within The Guild since it's such a large division of the Afterlife Battle Front. And I have no idea how anything works with them. He handles the recruiting as well"**

Tsukaro: **"Where are they located if you don't mind us asking?"**

Yuri: (Smiling) **"That's kind of information that most of us don't even know. Me, Yusa, and Hinata are the only ones who know for sure, but they have many different locations, one of which is below our holding cells at headquarters. They don't ever use that place though"**

Artemus: **"Wow… It's quite interesting, you know? Your team I mean. The Afterlife Battle Front… For such a small group, you guys have an interesting and powerful structure"**

Yuri: **"I guess, but we don't have abilities like you guys have"**

Artemus: **"Oh? What about Otonashi, Angel, Hinata, and Naoi?"**

Naoi: **"My hypnotism developed just as yours did: over time, except mine has been with me since before my time here"**

Angel: **"And as we have stated before, Hinata, Yuzuru, and my abilities are made with the help of a computer program"**

There is a long and silent pause from everyone. Yuri looks around, noticing tired eyes form throughout the crowd.

Yuri: **"Well, we have a long journey ahead of us. It would be best to get some shuteye while we travel"**

Noda: **"I can't wait to kick some serious ass!"**

Yui: **"Well, you got a long ways to go, moron"**

Noda ignores her 'moron' comment as usual.

Hinata: (Looking up at the setting sun) **"Man, seventy miles? That such a long ways away… I'm surprised everyone agreed to such long distance of travel"**

Yuri: **"Don't worry. When we get there, Chaa said he and Kiero will work on revamping this thing. Until then, which is going to be about maybe ten hours from now, we will be hitting the road slow"**

Fujimaki: **"You know, we might as well be walking the entire distance"**

Yuri: (Chuckles) **"Be my guest… More room here"**

Long silences hush the entire cart. Everyone begins to slowly slip consciousness after just a few more hours of travel. The trip would indeed be long, and then followed by hours of setting up a camp along the mountains, within the forest. Though everyone's attitude before embarking seemed more negative about the mission, the liveliness seemed to spark back up, however the fright was also present.

* * *

4:00 AM, that following morning; somewhere alongside a forest area.

As they come close to their destination, everyone begins to awaken from their uncomfortable slumbers.

Naoi begins to awaken, his back against the metal railings of the trailer. He looks down to his left and realizes Yusa was deep in slumber, resting her head on his shoulder and her arms draped over her legs and partially his. Quickly coming to his senses, his cheeks suddenly burn bright red and he flinches.

The tractor begins to slow to a close halt, followed by a rough turbulence of the parking brake engaging, tossing everyone's momentum forward. Groans are heard in the back. Chaa rubs the back of his head, smiling in innocence. The engine is quiet, trying to cool down from the long journey.

Chaa: **"Hehe… My bad, sorry about that"**

Iwasawa: (Rubbing out the back of her neck where she felt a sore) **"Ouch… Are we here yet?"**

Chaa: **"We're about maybe two miles from our destination. We can't take this thing into the woods. For one, it's too large to fit between the trees. And two, it's way too noisy to be within such close proximity of the enemy. The enemy fortress is maybe about five miles directly west of us"**

Yuri: **"Alright, let's grab all out stuff and move. We got our rest, let's kick it into gear!"**

Everyone replies with a nod, quickly putting on their backpacks and grabbing all their gear and rushing off of the bed of the large tractor. Chaa takes a key from a small, metal chain around his neck and walks over to the side of the tractor where a large compartment was locked.

Chaa: **"You guys are going to need new weapons, too… I have everything you asked for Yuri, right here…"**

Chaa sticks the key into the lock of the compartment and twists it. He opens it, revealing a massive rack full of brand new guns, ranging from rifles, pistols, machineguns, and a rocket launcher. Everyone lets out a loud and impressed 'whoa'.

Iwasawa: **"Holy crap… That's umm… Quite a nice collection"**

Chaa: **"Thanks. I take my work very seriously. I only ask that you all take care of them"**

Irie: **"It's only a shame we don't even know how to use them"**

Chaa: (Sarcastic) **"Oh, that's nice, Yurippe. Way to teach your people how to shoot…"**

Yuri: **"Sorry, everyone was needed for this mission. I can't risk not having the extra bodies. I kind of planned it on short notice, ya know, and you told me if we were going to go through with it, that we needed to act quickly! So here we are"**

Chaa gives an elongated sigh. Putting his frustration behind him, he grabs a clipboard from inside of the compartment. He begins to read off the entire order Yuri made.

Chaa: **"Let's see… I have a large number of pistols… M92 Berretta's. Seven of them… Each with one magazine of fifteen rounds…"**

Yuri: **"Oh, those go to the people who don't normally shoot. Iwasawa, Irie, Sekine, Hisako, Yusa, Yui, and Takeyama…"**

Chaa goes and hands each of them a pistol with a magazine inside of the weapon.

Chaa: **"Please don't shoot anything yet… Keep your stinking fingers off of the trigger until you need it"**

Hisako: **"Hmm… How charming"**

Chaa is annoyed by Hisako's attitude and shoves his face about a foot in front of hers, bending over to her level"

Chaa: **"Look, you… We didn't come all this way for an accident to occur, exposing us… I'm being serious"**

Hisako: **"Geez, calm down, I didn't meaning it like that!"**

Chaa returns to normal and continues to read on the order Yuri made for her people, handing out weapons of all shapes and sizes out to the members of Class SSS. Members begin locking and loading weapons, trading them, and tinkering with them. As the crowd clears slightly, Chaa notices two unfamiliar faces. Artemus and Tsukaro…

Chaa: **"Who the hell are you guys?"**

Yuri: **"They're with us. Our allies… I told you we'd be bringing two other people with us to help"**

Artemus: (Extending out a hand to Chaa) **"I'm Wren Artemus. It is a pleasure to actually meet you, Chaa"**

Chaa looks down at Artemus' hand and grabs it, shaking it casually.

Chaa: **"Right. If Yuri trusts you, then I got no reason to dis you guys. Just don't go off exposing us"**

Yuri: **"It's alright, Chaa. They're valuable members to the Battle Front to me. They may be Scarlet Twenty at heart, but I consider them one of us"**

Both Artemus and Tsukaro smile at Yuri's kind words. Chaa looks down at Artemus' left and sees a short girl with a striking, but opposing resemblance to Angel.

Chaa: (To Tsukaro) **"And who is this?"**

Tsukaro: **"I am Tsukaro. Kaishine Tsukaro. It is a pleasure meeting and working with you, Chaa"**

Chaa gives a light smile. He looks and notices they are devoid of weapons. He rubs his chin, and raises and eyebrow.

Chaa: **"Aw damn… We have no more weapons to hand out. You guys are pretty empty-handed, too"**

Tsukaro smiles, closing her eyes happily and giggling.

Tsukaro: **"We appreciate your concern, but it's alright, really! We do have weapons actually"**

Chaa: (Scratching his head, again raising an eyebrow, confused) **"Uh… Where, if you don't mind me asking?"**

Tsukaro: (Putting her index finger on her chin, looking up) **"Hmm… Now that I think of it, I don't think we've ever shown them what we're armed with, Wren…"**

Artemus: **"Oh, you're just a big show off, Kai!"**

Tsukaro: (Quickly objecting to his comment) **"I am not!"**

Noda: **"Weapons?"** (Laughing heartily) **"Can they best my beloved Halberd?"**

Ooyama: **"I am quite curious, too! Do show us, please?"**

Tsukaro glances at Artemus, giving a slightly angry look. Artemus chuckles and pats her shoulder.

Artemus: **"Go on, Kai…"**

Tsukaro smiles, finally getting the chance to show off her weapon of choice.

She puts her hands out ahead of her and closes her eyes. Her demeanor drops into a serious and entranced one. Suddenly, a dark and eerie aura begins to fill the air around the entire group. Some members are intimidated and back up one step. Suddenly, dark electricity begins to emit at her fingertips. Artemus crosses his arms and watches with seemingly minimal interest.

Artemus: (To himself) **"Is all this conjuration really necessary, Kai?"**

Tsukaro's conjuration is interrupted by a sudden outburst by herself.

Tsukaro: **"Hey! This is completely necessary!"**

Artemus: (Surprised) **"What?! You heard that?!"**

Tsukaro smiles and suddenly a fast-spinning object begins to appear in front of her just past her fingertips. Her eyes open and the spinning object slows down. She suddenly shoves her hand forward and grabs it, immediately putting the propeller-like motion to a complete stop, revealing a long, black staff with a long, curved, sharp, and insidious, steel blade at the end of it. The scythe was quite large, about half times taller than Tsukaro herself.

All eyes are widened at the weapon. A drop of sweat forms on Noda's left temple, slightly threatened at the large size of her scythe. Fujimaki laughs and directs his attention to Noda's halberd, which at the moment began to look like complete trash compared to Tsukaro's massive weapon.

Fujimaki: **"I sense a disturbance in Noda's confidence"**

Noda: (Yelling) **"Hey, shut up! Just because she has a bigger weapon than me, doesn't mean she can dish out the damages!"**

Artemus: **"I've seen you once in action, Noda, and you're quite impressive"**

Everyone is shocked to hear a compliment directed towards Noda. Noda is immediately shrouded in arrogance at the comment.

Noda: (Laughing, once again, heartily) **"Thank you, kind sir! Like I said! Kicking ass is what I do best!"**

Shiina: **"But can you match up to the force of one-hundred men?"**

Noda sneers at Shiina's comment-intended question. He gets close to her and bends down to her height, slightly mocking her.

Noda: **"Well then, I suppose you think you can match my skill?"**

Shiina: (Crossing her arms and looking dead in Noda's eyes) **"I should be asking you. It is you who should be worried of your safety in a match between you and I"**

Yuri gets in-between Noda and Shiina, pushing them apart from their bickering.

Yuri: **"Alright, alright! Enough, both of you!"**

The two continue bickering as Yuri breaks them together. Artemus walks closer to Tsukaro and begins to whisper to her.

Artemus: (Whispering to Tsukaro) **"I need to ask you of a favor…"**

Tsukaro: (Whispering back) **"What is it?"**

Artemus: **"I know you're still learning how to control it… But try not to use Night Shroud. We don't know how they would react if they saw it. And you and I both know you have minimal control over it"**

Tsukaro: (Nodding) **"Yeah, I got it…"**

Yuri begins to turn red, steam emitting (figuratively) from her head.

Yuri: (Growling) **"Knock it off!"**

Shiina recollects all of her pride and humility, backing away from Noda.

Shiina: (Walking away) **"This is so stupid…"**

Yuri: **"We need to go ahead and set up camp in the woods"**

Chaa: **"You remember where to go?"**

Yuri: **"I have a copy of the map and a compass. You're going to stay here?"**

Chaa: **"We need to put some camouflage onto this thing"** (Points at the tractor and trailer) **"Kiero and I will follow along, so go on ahead. We'll only be a few"**

Yuri nods her head and continues forward. Everyone puts their backpacks and their gear on.

Yuri: **"Everyone, follow me. This way"**

Yuri begins to walk along the wood line, through the long grass that covered the area between the woods and the pasture. One step closer to building the weapon needed to dominate Sinister.


	15. Chapter 15: Sparked and Spotted

Author's Note:

Hey, guys. Sorry about the extreme lateness. I had this chapter almost ready for the longest time. I just didn't give myself enough time to finish it up and post it. I'm really sorry about that! I should have the next one up at a much faster time than last. Sorry again! Thank you all for your support! I assure you though, I'm not giving up on this!

-Parahdoks

* * *

Chapter 15: Sparked and Spotted

* * *

Along the edge of the mountain, a small pasture with tall grass reveals some small number of short-pitched tents and a small campfire. All members sat in front of it, trying to avoid the slight-chilled wind.

Fujimaki: "**Hey, won't those guys end up seeing the smoke?"**

Chaa: "**Don't worry about it, kid. It's a new moon, and the enemy post is on the other side of this giant hill. They can't see it"**

Yuri walks out of her small tent, pushing the flaps of the entrance away and standing up straight, stretching to walk off the cramp in her back.

Yuri: "**These tents are way too small… Geez, I can't even stand in them"**

Kiero: "**Sorry, Miss Nakamura… These were the only ones we had available"**

Takamatsu: "**I'm sure ones that are big would be quite the sight, too, wouldn't they?"**

Yui: "**But… We're surrounded by trees"**

Yuri: "**Never mind all of that… We have more important things to worry about now"**

Yuri walks over to the tiny campfire next to Chaa and looks out to her group, all sprawled and crowding all around the flame. Yuri begins counting them one-by-one.

Yuri: (Counting to herself, pointing out bodies) "**One, two…"**

The rest of her counting becomes incomprehensible murmurs to herself.

Yuri: (Becoming slightly worried) "**Umm, guys… Where's Noda?"**

Everyone looks over at Yuri, confused, looking around, noticing that he is in fact missing from the group. Yuri puts her index finger and thumb on her nostrils, blocking her slight frustration.

Yuri: "**Hold on…"**

Yuri walks around to the different tents in the camp, opening them all, trying to find her delinquent subordinate.

Yuri: (Calling out) "**Noda! Where are you?"**

Yuri walks over to the campfire, both hands on her hips, her brows scrunched over her eyes, now in heavy frustration.

Yuri: (Pissed) "**Where the hell is Noda?"**

Matsushita5: "**None of us has seen him… Maybe he ran out somewhere"**

Yuri directs her attention to Shiina, who was Noda's group leader. Yuri glares at her, asking her the obvious question through body language.

Shiina: "**You're asking me where he might be. Your guess is as good as mine. I haven't even talked to him since we stopped arguing"**

Yuri: "**So none of you know where he is?!"** (Pauses) "**You've got to be kidding me… DAMMIT!"**

Ooyama stands up and walks over to Yuri, trying to keep her calm, both his hands barely touching her.

Ooyama: "**Yuri, let's calm down… Maybe he went to see if enemies were near. He'll be back, I know it! Let's just continue…-"**

Yuri: (Interrupting) "**Fine"** (Pauses) "**We have to continue the briefing now, but Group 2, I need you to go find Noda. We'll give you the heads up on what's happening when you return. We need to find him though"**

Shiina: "**That idiot is going to jeopardize this entire mission… We'll find him"** (Calling out) "**Hisako, Takamatsu, come with me. Matsushita the Fifth, stay here and help out with the camp"**

Hisako and Takamatsu stand up and nod. As the two load up their weapons and gets ready, Shiina searches for any possible leads. She finds a few footprints trailing from the edge of the camp, as well as small holes in the dirt, possibly made by Noda's halberd, leading into a noticeable trail outside of the camp.

Shiina: (Calling out to her squad-mates) "**I found a trail. He took off this way"**

The group follows on towards Shiina's position. Hisako held her gun nervously, as she had never ventured out in her entire time in Class SSS. Shiina continued forward into the trail, following the faint footsteps. As they went along, the campfire became less visible.

Shiina navigated past the thick vegetation, re-paving the way through already-treaded paths.

Shiina: "**Already I'm not impressed by him. He doesn't know how to cover his own path"**

Takamatsu: "**Well, he really isn't one for stealth or anything of the sort"**

Shiina: "**It's not about stealth. It's about not leaving a trail behind for others to find you. It's about staying undetected. Yuri sealed this group's fate when she put me and that idiot together"**

Hisako: "**That's a little blunt considering we're also your teammates"**

Shiina: "**I'm the kind of fighter that leaves no trace or evidence of my existence at the scene. Noda goes in and completely obliterates the idea of silence and covering tracks. On top of that, he relies so much more on brute force than speed to fight"**

Hisako: "**But isn't diversity supposed to be a…-"**

Shiina: (Interrupts) "**His fighting style does not compare to mine because they are not comparable. Mixing us together is like sneaking through the front door of a house you're trying to assassinate someone in"**

Hisako raises an eyebrow, recalling a not-so-distant memory.

Hisako: "**Have you forgotten that's exactly what you guys did to save us?"**

Shiina gasps lightly, recalling the same events as Hisako, realizing that she was one of the ones who planned that mission.

Shiina: "**That's not…-"**

Takamatsu: (Interrupts) "**Hisako may be correct"** (Pushing up glasses with index and middle finger) "**Just because your fighting styles and methods of engagement are different doesn't mean one is superior to the other, or that the two are completely incompatible. How you use them is what matters. You and Noda are two very valuable and powerful members of this group. Though Yurippe or anyone else may not show it, she knows it. Together you and Noda can deal a massive load of damage to the enemy"**

Shiina does not say anything. They all continue walking onward through the path. Running water is heard some distance away. Shiina attempts to look past the trees, past the darkness, trying to peek and see what was out in the distance. As they get closer, an individual is seen sitting on a boulder near a small pond.

Hisako: (Quietly to Shiina and Takamatsu) "**It's him…"**

They cautiously continue forward. As they get closer, they hear the individual talking to himself in a solemn and thoughtful manner. They finally reach the wood-line that met a small field leading to the pond, where Noda sat on a large rock, holding his halberd.

Noda: "**Dammit! Why her?! I don't understand… I thought I was a good fighter… I've never disappointed Yurippe… But I can't even be trusted to lead a group?! This is pointless! Why her?!"** (Sighs and pauses) "**Yet…"**

Shiina directs her teammates to get down so they are not seen. They observe Noda and his small rant to himself.

Noda: "**Yet I can't help feeling that maybe… Yurippe's always been the one I've always admired… But Shiina…"**

Shiina's eyes bolt wide open, Takamatsu and Hisako were puzzled.

Shiina: (Murmuring to herself) "**Don't tell me…"**

Noda looks up to the sky in somber, exhaling deeply, and then looks straight ahead, beating his head with his palms.

Noda: "**No way! That's silly!"**

He begins to question whether he may be in denial with himself or not.

Noda: "**Could she… Could I actually be…?"**

Takamatsu: (Whispering to Shiina and Hisako) "**Do you think he might actually be talking about…"**

Hisako: "**Y-… You might be right…"** (Directing attention to Shiina) "**Shiina… I think he might be…"**

Hisako stops herself, realizing Shiina is in some deep thought. The silent girl stared with eyes widened and in a state of emotional shock. She becomes slightly frustrated with her own emotions, suddenly turning her attention to Hisako and Takamatsu with a look of unexplained temper.

Shiina: "**That's stupid!"**

Shiina's eyes are widened once more, as Noda quickly turns around, startled by the sudden loud yell of someone possibly spying on him. He immediately goes into a fighting stance, pointing his sharp halberd out towards the sound of the nearby yelling, yet not realizing who was behind the vegetation, only seeing a silhouette of a girl.

Noda: "**Who's there?! Show yourself, cowards!"**

Shiina sighs and turns, slowly revealing her light face and red eyes. Noda is taken by surprise, almost dropping his halberd and becoming extremely nervous.

Noda: (Angry) "**Why are you here?! Who the hell do you think you are spying on me like that?!"**

Shiina: (Sternly) "**Why did you leave the camp"**

Noda: "**I needed time to myself"** (Sarcastic) "**Oh but I suppose I should have let my 'leader' know, huh"**

Shiina's blood begins to bubble, becoming infuriated with Noda's attitude. She walks over to him slowly, through the thick grass and bushes.

Shiina: (Walking slowly to him as she talks angrily) "**What is wrong with you, Noda?! We've tried being patient with you. Yuri even figured you being in this group would be a good idea considering how much a powerhouse we'd be. But you're too arrogant and stubborn to even cooperate even with her!"**

As she draws closer to him, he backs up a few steps hesitantly.

Noda: "**Back off, freak!"**

Shiina: "**Put your pride aside and pay the hell attention to what we are trying to tell you, Noda! All you do is criticize everything anyone else but yourself does, and maybe we'll get shit done the way they should be done"**

Noda: "**I'm warning you!"**

Shiina gets within three steps of Noda. He puts the blade close to her face, trying to intimidate her to get away.

Shiina: (Solemn) "**You and I both know you won't try to kill me"**

Noda becomes nervous. Sweat begins to drip down the side of his face.

Noda: (Nervous) "**I-… I'm serious! Get away! I'll kill you!"**

Shiina takes one step closer, allowing the sharp blade to touch her forehead. Noda nervously lifted it away from her, but kept it aimed at her.

Hisako tried to stand, but Takamatsu quickly slapped his hand on her shoulder try keep her from doing so. She looked at him. He kept pressure on her shoulder, putting his index finger over his mouth, trying to tell her to keep quiet.

Shiina: "**You won't kill me, Noda"**

Noda: (Nervous) "**You don't know me!"**

Shiina stares into his eyes directly. Noda's eyes begin to shake in fear, barely keeping his hands stable enough to keep the halberd from shaking as well.

Shiina: "**I heard everything"**

Noda's eyes bolt wide open, gasping as if he had seen death itself. There is a sudden stillness in the air. Noda regains himself, stopping his shaking. Shiina keeps her eyes on him.

Shiina: (Smiling) "**I'm quite flattered to be honest. I never once thought anyone would have thought that about me"**

Noda kept his surprise look, unsure what to do or even say.

Shiina: "**Stop being a stubborn ass and return with us back to the camp"**

A sound is suddenly heard in the trees behind Noda. Both of them stop completely in their place, freezing. He suddenly jumps at Shiina, putting his entire palm on the top of her head, forcing her down. Multiple gunshots are heard behind them, barely missing both of them by inches.

Shiina: "**Sinister!"**

Takamatsu and Hisako both grip their weapons, preparing themselves for combat. Hisako's eyes widen and her hands shake. She is barely able to contain herself. Takamatsu puts a hand on her shoulder. She looks at him; his face was serious. He put an index finger up to his mouth, trying to tell her to quiet down. She nods and tries recollecting her mentality.

Noda urges her along, crawling across the dirt, scurrying into the woods. More gunshots whiz past their bodies, barely hitting them. Shiina, without warning, quickly jumps up, and with a blink of an eye, snatches multiple shuriken from her side and tosses them ahead of her into the bushes. Few of her own thrown projectiles are interrupted by bullets. Few slice deep into the bushes. Loud yells are heard, but guns continue firing. As Shiina drops back to the ground to conceal herself, she quickly falls to her side, gripping the center of her abdomen.

Noda: (Exclaiming) "**Shiina!"**

Shiina: (In pain) "**I-…I'm fine…"**

Shiina was shaking in pain. She continues to crawl into the bush where her two other partners were. Quickly, Takamatsu took action, raising his assault rifle up, aiming in the general direction of the enemy. He pulls the trigger; a loud and constant barrage of bullets rocket towards the enemy. Noda is slightly startled by the sudden noise.

Noda: "**What the hell?! There's more of them?!"**

Shiina: (In pain, gripping her abdomen) "**It's… Takamatsu and Hisako"**

Noda realizes the severity of the situation. He looks at Shiina, who is shaking in severe pain.

Noda: "**We need to get you away from here!"**

Noda Quickly grabs her, not worrying about how he grabbed her with his arms wrapped around her stomach. She gives a painful yelp.

Noda: "**Shut up! Take the pain for now! We need to leave!"**

Takamatsu: "**We got this for now! You guys go!"**

A silence engulfs the area. Noda quickly runs with Shiina over his shoulders. Takamatsu presses a button on his gun, releasing an expended clip. He grabs another one and inserts it, then releases his weapon's bolt catch. He aims down his sights, trying to spot the enemy. It is silent. Hisako is almost scared half to death, barely able to hold her own emotions. Takamatsu looks down at her. Acting quickly, he slings his weapon on his back, grabs her wrist and pulls her back, attempting to run away from the scene. Hisako runs along, trying to keep up with him.

Meanwhile at camp…

Yuri pulls on the slide of her M92 pistol, as everyone else also readies their weapons, hearing the firing of multiple weapons in the distance.

Yuri: "**Hold on, guys… We might have some company"**

In the distance, rustling of leaves are heard. Yuri aims her weapon up, not knowing who would pop out of the wood line. Suddenly, yelling is heard from that direction, close by.

Noda: "**Yurippe!"**

Suddenly, Noda smashes through the bushes, almost tripping over briars and vines. He stops in front of the camp, trying to catch his breath, carrying Shiina in his arms. Shiina had a shallow breath, trying to keep hold of the wound on her abdomen, which bled fairly badly, staining her Afterlife Battle Front shirt with crimson, blood dripping down from her back, onto Noda's shoes.

Everyone suddenly stands up, completely in shock of what they see; Shiina wounded, let alone at the edge of 'death'. Chaa quickly dashes towards them, quickly taking hold of Shiina.

Chaa: "**She needs quick medical attention"**

Otonashi:"**We can't afford anyone to be in recovery during a mission like this! Especially when it's Shiina!"**

Yuri: "**Noda, what the hell happened?!"**

Noda's head quickly reeled in the events prior to this current moment. He stutters, remembering what Shiina heard him say. Suddenly two other people bust through the wood line, catching their breath, hands on both their knees, bent over, tired. It was Takamatsu and Hisako.

Takamatsu: (Panting) "**Si-…Sinister… They ambushed-… Noda and Shiina"**

Yuri's eyes widened. Tsukaro gave an angry glare and clenched her fist. She quickly wielded her scythe from her back and went into a battle stance.

Tsukaro: "**Where are those bast-…"**

Artemus softly put a hand on her shoulder, silencing her. She looked up at him. He held a straight face, signaling her to remain calm. She looks down and puts her weapon back where it was.

Artemus: "**We need to put out all lights and the fire. Stay close and don't make sounds… It's going to be a long night"**


	16. Chapter 16: Intervention

Author's Note:

Hey, guys. Chapter sixteen is here (finally). I keep apologizing for my tardiness on posting new chapters, but I feel that I might be dragging out my apologiez, but truly I am sorry! Thank you guys for the support, reviews, faves, and follows. They mean quite a bit to me, even though it may not seem like it. But I am happy to notify you all that the story is still LONG from done. I just kind of hit a small block in my writing in this chapter :\ , however I have gotten over it :P .

I would like to comment to one particular comment I liked a lot. I'd like to shed some light on the review he actually was spot on with. The individual stated that some of the protagonists in the story seemed a little different, and that a few of them were completely out of character. I will say that this might be true. However I will also say (not as retaliation, but as reasoning) that for the reason that I've done so was because it has been two years since the resolution to the anime occurred, so personalities are bound to change slightly. Ooyama for instance didn't have any special skills from his time in the manga title "Heaven's Door" until up towards the end of the "Angel Beats!" anime series. In episode 12 of the series, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", Ooyama was found appearing from a window sniping out enemies with a longrifle. I saw this as an opportunity to possibly give him a special skill (that of a sharpshooting gunslinger) in this fanfiction. Having no special abilities, Ooyama was just a timid and modest boy. But like most other people, gaining a special skill/ability may raise one's confidence over time, and two years is some extended amount of time. For Shiina, I will admit, I may have altered her personaliy to more of a talker, however she still retains her seriousness and vanity.

There was also another comment that someone made about how I should go back to a novel-style format, rather than my scripting format. I thought about it, too, but I figured I'd rather keep it the way it is now with screenplay-style. Reason being is that I rarely see anyone ever make screenplay format fanfics or stories. Of course, mine is far from the best, but I enjoy making it this way over novel format. I also have a better time explaining the story this way as well. It also makes the dialogue a tad bit easier for me, too ;) !

I hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Thanks again for all of your guys' support. It really does mean quite a bit to me, considering this is also my first fanfiction. More chapters to proceed this one!

**"C'MON, LET'S DANCE!"** -TK

_Parahdoks_

* * *

Chapter 16: Intervention

The camp is dark, almost pitched black. The only ones seen are people close to eachother, eyes that are used to the dark. They all sat in groups, making sure they were safe. Iwasawa sits down with Hisako and assesses her to make sure she is fine.

Hisako: **"Don't worry about it. Takamatsu and I sort of stayed in the back"**

Yuri: **"Did you guys not attack the enemy?"**

Takamatsu: **"We did. However when Noda fell back with Shiina, we followed to make sure they would be okay. We did return fire"**

Yuri: **"But Hisako, why didn't your weapon have any rounds expended?"**

Takamatsu: (Smiles, trying to make an excuse, covering to Hisako) **"Well, without proper training, you can't possibly expect someone who has never actually seen combat to do well, right?"**

Yuri gives an elongated sigh.

Yuri: **"I suppose you're right. I'm worried though. Don't you guys think they might find us?"**

Takamatsu: **"I most certainly hope not, but it may be already too late to move, don't you think?"**

Yuri: **"Then I guess we just work a little faster"**

Iwasawa: **"I'm actually pretty jealous, Hisako. You got to actually see a shootout before I did"**

Hisako: **"Yeah, I don't see how that is a good thing"**

Iwasawa: **"More experience for you. At least you won't freeze up the next time, right?"**

Hisako: **"Let's hope not"**

Yuri: **"I just hope whoever attacked you guys didn't follow"**

Artemus: **"Well, there is no light, so we can hope they did not see the camp site yet. If you want to continue with this, Nakamura, I think now would be the time..."**

Noda: **"But Shiina is..."**

Yuri: (Interrupts) **"Yeah, that's going to become a problem if she can't participate with us"**

Yui: **"The moron has taken some interest in the ninja girl I see..."**

Noda: **"Oh shut up, you!"**

Yuri hears something in the distance, rustling within the woods some ways away from them. Everyone silences. She closes her eyes and listens closely. Artemus does the same. Slowly, unseen by anyone else due to the darkness, a katana begins to slowly grow from a dark-colored hilt from his side, and sprouting out a long, steel blade from seemingly nowhere. Artemus slowly grabs the hilt. Yuri looks over in the general direction of where Artemus was. He was nowhere to be found in her darkness-formed sight she grew used to. Suddenly, the sound of penetrated and ripped flesh began to fill the ears of the horror-instilled group. Tsukaro looked around, worried.

Tsukaro: (Quietly) **"Wren...?"**

Another sound of a sharp object slicing through flesh again filled their ears from a distance. Worried faces pondered at the possibilities.

Otonashi: (Worried; silent) **"Are we seriously exposed now?"**

An individual was heard in the distance gasping for air. The breathing began to shallow down to a complete stop. Then the sound of a weight dropping onto the grass.

Artemus: **"All clear"**

Noda quickly lit a flame on a small branch. Walking back into the camp, Artemus held his long, blood-drenched katana. Noda is stricken with a small sense of envy. The envy and dissatisfaction of not being the one to slice the enemy to pieces.

Hinata: **"That's amazing... He did it so fast"**

Tsukaro: (Excitedly stating) **"That's his 'Flash Kill' attack"**

Hinata: **"Flash Kill?"**

Artemus: (Smiling) **"She comes up with the names of the methods of attacks I have... I just use them. I think she just enjoys naming them though"**

Tsukaro: **"Flash Kill is a surprise attack Wren does on enemies. He jumps to their location and kills them off one-by-one!"**

Yui: **"That's... Quite impressive actually"**

Chaa: **"We need to get going now. Someone can stay back and take care of the girl. She'll be fine in a few hours. We need to go ahead with the operation though. I need that metal"**

Yuri ponders for a moment. The flame on Noda's torch begins to weaken.

Yuri: **"Everyone, get your teams together. Noda, I can't believe I'm saying this..."**

Suddenly his eyes begin to well up in happiness.

Yuri: **"You're group two's leader"**

Noda jumps up in happiness, but before he could even begin to shout, everyone grabs him by the face and smashes his loud-mouth to the ground, preventing him from comprimising their location by his loud yell. He drops the torch as a result and the light diminishes.

* * *

Moments later, Yuri reistablishes the teams and gets everyone together.

Yuri: **"Alright, Angel, you will take your group at point. All you have to do is travel about a mile and a half over a hill. Once there, you will pass an old Sinister camp"**

Otonashi: **"Uh, please tell me that camp is not...-"**

Chaa: (Interrupts) **"Active? Don't worry, from what we've surveyed, it's just some abandoned camp with nothing more than old, cloth tents and timber"**

Artemus: (Quietly to Tsukaro) **"Something in my gut is telling me that this may very well be a bad thing"**

Tsukaro: **"What do you mean?"**

Artemus: **"We lost a group here ages ago"**

Tsukaro: **"Do you think that the camp they're talking might...?"**

Artemus looks down at her and nods his head.

Yuri: **"Alright, let's go, guys. Group one, lead the way. We'll follow along soon" **

Shortly after, they begin appearing and disappearing into the shrubbery. Angel leads the way, not sensing any danger, or at least enough danger to bring out her Hand Sonic. Otonashi trails near with his Glock 17 pistol at hand, followed by Fujimaki and his drum-clip sub-machinegun, Ooyama and an M24 sniper rifle, and Hinata holding his .45 caliber pistol.

* * *

About thirty minutes of time pass. The group comes across a camp that happened to be a short distance away. Angel spots the camp just up ahead. She ducks behind a bush trying to see if anyone might be there. No one is in sight yet. They spot the old camp just up ahead, but just barely, considering how thick the darkness is. But a visible tear is shown on many tents, busted timber and broken weapons cover the ground.

Otonashi: (Whispering) **"There's no way in hell this place was just 'some abandoned camp'. There was a fight here"**

Ooyama puts his rifle's sights to his right eye and scopes out the area. As he carefuly combs out the camp with his eyes, he gasps in slight horror.

Ooyama: (Worryful) **"Oh no... Guys, you might need to see this"**

The rest of the group, excluding Angel goes over to Ooyama. He allows Fujimaki first to look through the rifle's scope to show what he sees.

Fujimaki: **"What is it?"**

Fujimaki looks and notices a torn banner hanging halfway busted on its pole. On the banner were the characters "緋色20".

(English translation: Scarlet20)

Fujimaki: **"Oh man, you're right. That's definitely not good"**

Angel: **"I saw it, too..."**

Fujimaki: **"That banner says Scarlet Twenty..."**

Otonashi and Hinata are slightly surprised.

Otonashi: **"Wait, what? Really?"**

Hinata: **"Shouldn't we relay that to Yurippe?" **

Angel: (Looking back at Fujimaki) **"What banner?"**

An eerie silence takes over; slight communication maybe? Fujimaki takes the scope away from his eyes and looks at Angel.

Fujimaki: (Whispering, slightly concerned) **"Angel... If you didn't notice the banner, then what exactly did you see?"**

Angel looks forward towards the campsight once more. She leers at the spot she was looking at. Something was different.

Angel: (Talking normally) **"Hand Sonic"**

Suddenly Angel stands up with blades pixelating from her cuffs. Suddenly, she is struck at her blades by a sudden blunt force. The group (excluding Angel once more) is stricken with surprise. One individual in the shadows begins picking a fight with Angel.

Otonashi: (Yelling into the radio) **"Hold your positions! We've hit a snag in the path!"**

Yuri (Through Otonashi's Radio): **"What?! Where are you guys now?!"**

Otonashi: (Into his radio) **"That camp!"**

Hinata snatches the radio from Otonashi's hand and begins to yell in it as well.

Hinata: (Into the radio) **"Yurippe! That camp... It's not an abandoned Sinister camp!"**

Yuri (Radio): **"What is it then?"**

Hinata: **"It's an old Scarlet Twenty camp! It looked like it had been ransacked and destroyed!"**

Somewhere in the woods, Artemus and Tsukaro both look at eachother, knowing their hunch was right.

Angel continues fighting the individual who attacked her. The individual smashes a large mace onto her Hand Sonic weapons. Angel's heels are dug into the ground from the sheer force she managed to block.

Hinata: (Attempting to aim his weapon) **"I can't see 'em!"**

Angel: **"Do not fire!"**

They all give a worried look and lower their weapons not knowing what to do. Angel suddenly goes for an inward stab as she sees an opportunity. One of her blades impales the individual center mass, dead in the stomach. The individual stops and stops to its knees, shaking and gripping Angel's Hand Sonics as if it wanted it out of its body. Otonashi suddenly makes his move. He brings out a small flashlight and flashes it in the individual's face. It was a short male, about thirty years of age. For clothing, he had ragged and torn clothes.

Angel: **"I require your faction name, please"**

As the man began losing consciousness, he tries uttering words, but has slight trouble doing so, but is still comprehensible.

**"L-...Long live... S-... Twenty",** before slipping reality into unconsciousness. The entire group is stricken with a sense of surprise. Angel withdraws her Hand Sonic blades as the man falls over. She manages to catch him as he draws down to his knees, keeping his sitting upward. She looks directly up at Hinata, who was holding the radio. She blinks twice. Hinata is puzzled as to why she stared so intently at him.

Hinata: (Confused) **"Umm..."**

Otonashi: **"The radio, dude"**

Hinata tries smiling and puts his palm over his forehead.

Hinata: **"Oh! Of course!"** (Fake laughter)

Seconds later, Artemus and Tsukaro dash through the wooded area towards group one. Hinata tends to the individual's wounds that Angel caused (of course without malicious intentions towards allies). As they run, Tsukaro struggles to keep up with Artemus.

Tsukaro: (Struggling, trying to keep up with Artemus)**"Who is it?!"**

Artemus: (Dashing) **"I don't know! I was never notified of any camps of ours being here though!"**

Tsukaro stops in her tracks. Artemus realizes the pitter patter of her steps have stopped and he also does the same. He looks around him to find that Tsukaro is no longer trailing him. He looks behind him, and several feet away is Tsukaro, wide-eyed.

Artemus: **"Kaishine! Hurry! We must-..."**

He interrupts himself with silence, realizing there was something wrong.

Kaishine: **"That's... Wait a minute! There's no way that could be them!"**

Artemus: **"Who? Wait, what?"**

Kaishine: **"Some time before you joined us, Wren... There was a group of soldiers within S20, back when we were a well-structured force, an army... We had a large group enter a mountainous area. I wasn't sure which mountains... My hunch was right though... But I didn't think there'd be survivors... I thought they'd all be gone or taken prisoner by now... I wasn't even in The Three-headed Beast yet... I knew very little of this catastrophic failure of a mission..."**

Artemus: (Solemn) **"Kaishine..."** (Pauses) **"I understand your disappointment, but we may need to talk about this later... We have to help them"**

Tsukaro snaps to her old senses and nods her head in agreement.

Tsukaro: **"Right!"**

Back at the abandoned camp, Hinata held his hands over the man's wound, hands glowing and light-blue pixels forming around and inside of the wound of the apparent Scarlet Twenty soldier.

Ooyama: **"He's going to be alright... Right, Hinata?"**

Hinata: **"He'll be outcold for a good hour or so at least..." **

Fujikami: **"Talk about a damper on our mission... Geez, this is becoming ridiculous how many interruptions we're getting"**

Otonashi: **"Artemus' group is on the way, so we should be on our way when they get here to pick up this guy"**

Fujimaki: **"The dude looks like he's been living here for years... Hey, you think maybe he's an escaped prisoner of Sinister?"**

Ooyama: **"That's possible! It makes a lot of sense. He's barely got any clothes on!"**

They begin to hear leaves rustling in the distance. Otonashi stands up and holds his gun. Angel stands up as well, but places her hand softly over the slide of his Glock 17, slowly making him put the weapon down. Otonashi realizes she's trying to tell him there's nothing to fear. He looks in the direction of the noise. Artemus and Tsukaro suddenly jump through a bush, making contact with all of Group 1.

Artemus looks down at the body, which was illuminated by Hinata's medical skill.

Hinata: (Looking up at Artemus) **"He'll be out for about another hour, but he's fine"**

Artemus inspects him, looking all over to find any sign of S20 ownership. He looks down at Hinata unsurely.

Artemus: **"How do we know this is an actual member? I don't recognize him..."**

Tsukaro pulls at Artemus' shirt tail. He looks down at her. She looks at the unconscious man and points down at his chest where a severely scratched and unrecognizable tattoo was.

Tsukaro: **"You can't recognize it?"**

Artemus looks closer, unable to make heads or tails of it. It was a red tattoo in the shape of what looked like a dragon with the number "3" behind it.

Tsukaro: **"He was a member of the Three Headed Beast, like we are now..."**

Fujimaki heard the name 'Three Headed Beast', automatically assuming something eviland malicious.

Fujimaki: (Cautious and becoming alerted) **"Whoah! I'm sorry, three-headed WHAT?!"**

Tsukaro: (Ignoring Fujimaki) **"We'll take this one back with us. Wren and I have questions to ask him"**

Fujimaki: (Pissed) **"Hell no! Don't you ignore me! What is this 'Three Headed Beast?!"**

Artemus looks up at Fujimaki. He undoes the velcro of his right fingerless gloves and begins to take it off. He shows the back of his hand to Fujimaki, where a red-colored dragon with the number '3' was tattooed.

Artemus: **"TheThree-Headed Beast is an exclusive title held by the most elite members of Scarlet Twenty. Kaishine Tsukaro, myself, and our friend Ishono Yunotashi. All three of us hold the responsibility of not only defending our master, but also instilling harmony within the world of the dead and the living"**

Hinata: **"In other words, Fujimaki, he and Tsukaro are two of Scarlet Twenty's best fighters, and that this guy here was one of them some time ago"**

Artemus: (Rushing) **"We'll talk later. We need to get this individual to camp"**

An ominous chill suddenly encircles every one of them. An eeriness descends over them, giving a sense of uneasiness.

Hinata: (Worried) **"I know I'm not the only one who felt that"**

Artemus: (To himself) **"Dammit"**

Before any one of them could say anything more, a sudden shock tosses everyone to the right, smashing into trees and bushes. A light bursts before them and sends all of them rocketing into the green. Ooyama, Fujimaki, and Tsukaro are suddenly knocked unconscious by the sudden explosion. Artemus quickly recovers and unsheathes his katana from his 'voided sheathe'. Angel sits up as if nothing happened to her, suddenly, two long blades pixelate out of thin-air past her cuffs. Angel's passive 'Overdrive' guard skill allows swift recovery and higher pain tolerances . Otonashi tries sitting up, slightly injured and rubbing the back of his neck. He comes to a realization of what had just occurred. Otonashi quickly sits up all the way and looks around. He sees Angel and Artemus in their battle stances.

Otonashi: **"Is everyone alright?! What the hell is going on?!"**

Angel: (Monotonous and calm) **"The others are hurt. It's just us three for now. We're being attacked"**

Otonashi looks directly to his left and right and notices the unknown S20 member, Tsukaro, Fujimaki, Hinata, and Ooyama, all unconscious. Otonashi becomes shocked. Another ominous chill sends an eerie and dark feeling down their backs. Artemus quickly dives to the right. Angel notices his motions and immediately dives back towards Otonashi, tackling him to the ground. A sudden explosion engulfs the area where Artemus and Angel stood. The fiery blast barely singes their bodies. Otonashi looks up and notices Angel trying to protect him. She tries to stand, but is barely able to. She struggles to sit up. Otonashi crawls from under her and stands up. He looks down at her back, noticing that much of the back of her blouse was singed, showing her red and black burns on her back where her skin was exposed. Metal shrapnel were also sliced into her skin, bleeding harshly. Her hand sonic blades suddenly disappeared as she struggled.

Otonashi: **"Kanade! Oh my god, you need medical attention!"**

Otonashi quickly tries helping her up, grabbing both of her arms and trying to pull She looks up at him.

Angel: (Trying not to show pain; monotonous) **"For a while now, I've been the one who's tried to protect everyone else with my abilities. Even with my passive Overdrive, the pain is too great. Stand by Wren and fight. I'll be fine. I can recover quickly"**

Otonashi separates his warrior drive from his emotions and lets go of Angel's hands. She tries sitting up to her knees. Otonashi quickly runs to Artemus' side. Artemus brushes off the dirt from his body.

Otonashi: (Angry, yelling) **"Show yourselves, cowards!"**

A quiet chuckling from up ahead is heard through some trees. Otonashi and Artemus spot an individual approaching; a sillhouette of a man with his hands in his pockets. The laughter is familiar. Otonashi's eyes grow.

Otonashi: (Angry) **"It's him..."**

As the individual walks closer from the small wood-line, he puts a hand out about a foot from his head and summons a small flame in his palm, revealing his wicked and twisted smile.

Glaive: **"In the flesh"**

Otonashi: (Angry) **"War Skill, Prismatic Bolt!"**

Two, bright, orange and cyan-ish colored, jagged, stalagmite-looking blades form from his cuffs. Without even so much as a thought, he quickly aims both of them at Glaive.

Artemus: (Yelling) **"Wait, Otonashi!"**

Both projectiles suddenly launch from his arms with such a velocity that it slices through the air with noticeable projectile trails. Both projectiles slice through Glaive, but to no avail. As if he wasn't even affected, his evil grin prevails over the powerful attack. Not even a scratch, though his aim was as precise has he could make it. Otonashi is stunned. As the projectiles are heard some distance away landing, his cuffs are rearmed with two more blades.

Otonashi: **"What the hell? What is this?!"**

Artemus: **"A hologram"**

Otonashi is confused.

Artemus: **"He's not here. No one is. They knew we'd be at this spot though. They're using guerilla tactics against us"**

Otonashi: **"What? Guerilla tactics? As in guerilla warfare?!"**

Artemus: **"We use something similar to what the living would call 'magic'. Sinister is using simple warfighting tactics against us. A hologram and sound projector and bombs planted near this spot"**

Otonashi puts the puzzle in his head together.

_ "That's why Kanade had metal in her back! Those bastards!"_

Otonashi: (Fists shaking by his side) **"They're all cowards! Every single one of those bastards!"**

Artemus: **"We need to keep calm, Otonashi. Staying angry won't do anything. We need to put some thought into our next few moves. They know we're here obviously. They must have this area covered in surveillance. We'll need to think about all of our actions"**

Otonashi tries not to become corrupted by anger. He thinks for a moment. He runs back and dives for Hinata. He searches the ground near him and the others, who were all (excluding Angel) knocked unconscious.

Artemus: (Knowing what Otonashi's intentions were) **"It wouldn't be wise to call your forces to a dangerous area. They will find us in time. They know our position. We need to deal with this problem ourselves"**

Otonashi on all fours smashes the ground with his fists in anger. He feels a palm ease onto the hair on top of his head. He looks up, feeling a sense of easiness. Angel, sitting on the ground, weakened by her wounds, looked at him, smiling, hoping to calm his nerves. Otonashi's angry frown turns into a slight smile. He pushes his body from off the ground to one knee, then stands on his two feet.

Otonashi: **"So what do we do?"**

Artemus: **"One of two things can happen. There are traps all over this area. I think this guy was a prisoner. He very well may have been released to draw us in"**

Otonashi: **"Why would he attack us then? Wouldn't he find it in our best interest if he stayed away?"**

Artemus: **"I have two theories about that. One, he was just some random, crazy guy who they just gave that tattoo to. Two, if he really is a past member of the Three-Headed Beast within our S20 faction, he may have been driven so far into insanity that he was unable to contain himself when he was released here"**

Otonashi was creeped out by Artemus' explanation. Artemus looks around. He unsheathes grips the hilt of his white katana hard with his right hand. Otonashi kneels next to Angel, not knowing that Artemus felt a possible disturbance near. He tried tending to her slow-healing wounds.

Angel: (Noticing Artemus acting strangely; speaking to Artemus) **"Hey... Are you alri-..."**

Angel is suddenly interrupted. She stops herself mid-sentence. Otonashi could see her watching something odd happen behind him. He looks back and notices that Artemus was not there.

Angel: (Monotonous) **"He disappeared"**

Otonashi was confused. He stood up, taking on a battle stance. Suddenly, before he could even summon his war skills, Artemus reappears right before their eyes, holding a scared, armored individual.

The individual being held up by Artemus was in red and black clothing, silver plates on his forearms, chest, abdomen, and legs. He shook tremendously, scared and confused, barely holding onto his rapier. Artemus held him up by his collar with his left arm, and his right hand held his katana, the blade held directly at what Otonashi thought was an enemy soldier's neck.

Artemus: (Angry) **"Welcome to our end of your trap"**

Man: (Scared) **"What?! Where are... What?! Let go of me! I don't know crap!"**

Artemus: **"Tell me how I can disarm this area completely. I know where your buddies are, too"**

The man looked as if his nerves were becoming more calm.

Man: **"I'm not telling you shit!"**

Artemus: (Not fazed in the least) **"Are you sure? Your buddies seem to be a little confused, too. I'm sure that small convoy behind you is wondering where their friend is now. Soon, because of you, they will be wondering why they're all waking up in a dark pit"**

Man: **"You wouldn't! You have no idea what we're capable of!"**

Artemus: **"Oh, I'm sure I know what you are all capable of, and I must say, I'm unimpressed. Want to know what I'm capable of?"**

The cocky enemy soldier looks into Artemus' eyes. Artemus looked deep into his enemy's, not blinking a single time. The enemy soldier's eyes began to widen. Otonashi watched the enemy soldier's expressed turn into a scared and insane demeanor.

Man: (Scared) **"Th-...The... The trap! Right below you! Disarm it if you want! Let me go, please!"**

Artemus grinned. He raised the man up about a foot higher and let go. The enemy soldier fell down, collapsing on all fours, his eyes widened and going slightly insane. Artemus looked down, holding his blade tightly.

Otonashi and Angel looked up and Artemus.

Artemus: **"We can't carry all these bodies out... We have to disarm this thing, which is apparently below us..."**

He strikes a sight down at the scared soldier.

Artemus: **"How do you disarm this thing..."**

The soldier looks up, not wanting to answer. Suddenly Artemus realizes they're sitting ducks. He quickly picks up the soldier again with both arms, dropping his katana on the ground. A barrage of bullets begins rushing towards Artemus. He raises up the soldier's body in front of him to defend himself quickly. The enemy soldier gives a series of loud cries. A silence draws out. Otonashi protects Angel by placing his body over her head, embracing her. The shots stop.

Artemus looks over the shoulder of the dead soldier's body he held up as a shield. Quickly, before he could allow the body to collapse to the ground after releasing his grip, he is seen by Otonashi somewhere in the woods as a sillouhette with a blade. As Otonashi and Angel watch, a gruesome fight begins to erupt in that area. The shadowed man attacking a couple of enemy soldiers, who were all taken by surprise. The blade slices through what looked like the chest of one soldier, then slashes across the neck of another. Otonashi could see the almost quite literal bloodbath taking place right before his very eyes. All of which occurring within a fraction of a minute. Bodies of the enemy soldiers are heard dropping one-by-one. Suddenly, the crying out of one individual is heard.

Enemy: **"STOP! Wait! The bomb!"**

Before Artemus could slash at him, he stops.

Enemy: **"Y-You want to bomb disarmed right?"** (Smiling crazily) **"Is that what you want?"**

Artemus looks at him skeptically.

Enemy: (Putting a hand behind his back slowly) **"I-I can help! It's a big bomb! Big I tell you! I know how to get rid of it! Just let me... get up real quick..."**

The enemy soldier slowly begins to stand. Artemus notices the single hand behind his back. He quickly moves behind him without even so much as alerting the enemy soldier. He snatches the soldier's hand and twists it in such a motion that it snaps the enemy's wrist, causing him to scream in bloody murder. Before the gun drops from the enemy's hand Artemus quickly lets go of the wrist and makes a quick grab for the pistol. He kicks the man in the back, pushing him forward and causing him to trip. Artemus aims the pistol at the enemy and begins to pull the trigger. Time began to seemingly move by slow as Artemus carried out the execution-style kill.

Hammer strikes the firing pin, which strikes the primer of the bullet, causing the gun-powder inside of the cartridge to explode, separating the bullet from the cartridge and to exit the weapon at such a velocity. The bullet trails outward, slicing through the air until meeting with the back of the enemy soldier's head, impaling the rear of his skull and exiting out his forehead, trailed with a small spread of blood, spraying the ground in front of the enemy. The body drops lifelessly. Artemus disarms the gun and drops it to the ground.

Artemus: **"At least I am a man of my word. I told you I was gonna kill you and your group if you didn't listen to me"**

Artemus makes his way past the bushes to Otonashi and Angel, who both sat, hoping the other members of the group would awaken. Artemus kneels beside Tsukaro, who laid there, her breath almost nonexistent.

Artemus: **"I kind of wish they'd wake up. We can't necessarily just leave them here and let that thing explode"**

Otonashi: **"So... We're screwed then..."**

Artemus: **"Unless by some miracle we would be saved. If that thing is underground though, I don't know what I could do. My distortion travel doesn't go through physical objects or the ground"**

Otonashi loses hope. There's no way they could leave their friends at the mercy of such a weapon or to Sinister.

Artemus: **"We can't carry them all, but we'd be able to save a few"**

Otonashi: **"But Kanade can barely move..."**

Artemus: **"There's only one option we have... To save a few and to leave the rest"**

Otonashi looks down in disappointment, realizing it was the truth.

Otonashi: (Disappointed) **"You're right..."**

Angel doesn't say a word. Otonashi realizes her silence was enough to convince him that Artemus was right.

Artemus: **"I can feel the weapon below us. It's fairly large, too. We might be in danger if we leave now, but we'd be able to at least escape its blast with a few burns"**

Otonashi: (Exclaiming) **"Then let's go!"**

Suddenly, a loud and crippling bang shatters the reality around them. Disorientating quakes and a large light smash through their senses. Otonashi, Angel, and even Artemus are all caught by sudden surprise, blinded by the light.

Then blackness...


	17. Chapter 17: Twist of Fate

Author's Note:

Welcome to Chapter 17: Twist of Fate. I enjoyed writing this because I had the chance to put something that really surprised myself, even while putting it together. I hope you guys enjoy it. I know what you might be thinking at the end of the chapter, that maybe the story has ended? You couldn't be any more wrong ;) !

Trust me, as I have said earlier, the story isn't done yet. It's long from being finished. I figured I'd go back in time slightly with this one though. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

**"Just a wild heaven" -TK **

_Much love,_

_Parahdoks_

* * *

Chapter 17: Twist of Fate

The light beckons his eyes as he laid in bed, slipping away from his dream. Crobars in the form of light cramming itself in-between his eyelids and forcing them open. Otonashi's eyes bolt open as he sits up breathing harshly, padding down his entire body as if he were checking for wounds. His breathing began to calm down as he came to reality. He looked around, sitting up in his twin-sized bed. He looked all over the room, realizing he was back in his dormitory. The dirty clothes hamper with the mabo tofu stained uniform top, his shoes placed neatly at the edge of his bed. The window blinds were open with the sun peaking over the campus ominously.

Otonashi allowed his body to fall backwards, his head hitting his pillow, making an immediate indention. He takes his hands and quickly smacks it over his eyes. Otonashi gave a fake smile.

Otonashi: (Quietly to himself) **"Such a strange dream..."**

Otonashi's misery quickly began to overtake him once more, right where he left off before falling asleep the night before. He sat up and swung his feet over the side of his bed. He looked out the window to see students outside on the field enjoying themselves, lounging and socializing.

Otonashi: **"Oh yeah, it's Saturday, isn't it..."**

He stands up and stretches in front of his window, inhaling deeply, then relaxing with an exhale just as strong.

Otonashi: **"I suppose I'd better get started with my day again"**

Otonashi is saddened by the dream he could barely remember. He closes his eyes and recalls very short moments of his dream, but had difficulty grasping the entire concept. He looks over at his drawer where a couple of pictures sat along with a stack of papers that read, _"Graduation"_ with the names of people he knew a few years ago.

Otonashi's mind ticked as soon as he saw the name _"Kanade Tachibana"_. He began recalling small events of the dream, realizing she was in it. Otonashi smiled and put a hand over his forehead.

Otonashi: **"I need to get over this!"**

He tried to smile it off, remembering all of the good moments he had, but despite his last time seeing her was over two years ago, his attempts at trying to move on only slipped him.

12:50 PM - That afternoon in a courtyard...

Otonashi sat in the courtyard reading a novel and eating a snack, wearing his normal school uniform to give him his student body president profession look. As students passed, they realized he had been alone reading.

Female Student: **"Hey, Prez! Whatcha reading?!"**

Otonashi realized he had drawn the attention of one random girl. As he put his book down, he is taken aback slightly by her familiarity. She stared at him with her dark, brown eyes. Otonashi couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was something about her stare that he couldn't quite understand. She wore a casual, weekend outfit, composed of a long, floral, pink skirt and yellow blouse. Her dark, shining, dark red hair was tied in a knot and dangled in one long tie, almost past her lower back.

Otonashi: **"Oh, hey! Sorry about that, what were you asking?"**

Female Student: (Smiling) **"What are you reading, Prez?"**

Otonashi: **"It's Romeo and Juliet. I need to practice my English, so I figured I'd try reading some Shakespeare on my spare time"**

The girl gave a slight look of discomfort.

Female Student: (Unsure) **"Erm... Shakespeare? Umm... Then you're a better student than I if you can do that! Especially on your spare time?! Geeze! Over-acheiver much?"**

Otonashi: **"Well, it's not like I have anything better to do than to study, right? I have to keep my appearance up to par with the standards, too"**

Female Student: **"You're an amazing guy if you have that kind of dedication"**

Otonashi bashfully waves her off, knowing she had complimented her, now allowing it to get to his head.

Otonashi: (Bashful) **"I'm nothing special, you know... If I were to apply myself in the role of a model student, it would hopefully entice the rest of you to do the same"**

The girl cocked her head to the right with a lack of expression on her face. Her striking resemblence to someone he once knew caused him to direct his attention away, trying to avoid old memories from flowing into his head. The girl quickly changed her expression into a slightly concerned. She snapped at him in slight worry.

Female Student: (Apologetic) **"Oh, sorry! Wait! Was it something I did?"**

Otonashi: (Reassuring the girl) **"No, no, no! Don't worry! It's nothing"**

She smiles and looks at him. Otonashi tries not making eye contact with her gorgeous, dark, blue eyes. Despite her apparent sociality being the complete opposite of the one he loved, and her appearance also being quite the opposite, still brought back memories of the one he yearned for. The girl looks at him oddly and tries reasoning with him.

Female Student: (Guessing his reason for his odd actions) **"I don't mean to sound arrogant, Prez, but are you taken by my looks?"**

Otonashi smiled, keeping his bearing.

Otonashi: (Smiling) **"Well, it's not a lie that you are quite beautiful"**

Female Student: (Taken aback, blushing) **"What?! You're saying it out just like that?!"**

Otonashi: (Continuing his last statement) **"But that's not why I'm avoiding eye-contact"**

Female Student: (Understanding his intentions) **"Oh, so you WERE trying to break eye-contact"** (Putting her hand on her chin) **"Is it because I remind you of someone?"**

Otonashi looks up quickly, immediately making eye-contact with her. She flinches slightly from his sudden action.

Otonashi: (Realizing his sudden movement, trying to downplay it) **"Oh... It was nothing..."**

Female Student: **"It sure doesn't seem like nothing"**

She walks over next to Otonshi and sits on the same bench right beside him. Otonashi is taken by slight surprise by her actions, but doesn't budge from his spot.

Female Student: **"I can listen if you need me to!"**

Otonashi began to think to himself...

_This girl is really persistent. I'll bet she's not an NPC. She's far too lively. And yet... Her familiarity eludes me..._

Otonashi: **"Hey, if you don't mind me asking... What is your name? You seem very familiar..."**

Female Student: **"My name? I guess I didn't properly introduce myself, did I! It's Minoko Kyoru!"**

Otonashi's mind began to race. Memories of his dream suddenly began to flash in his mind like random clips of a movie. Her name was so familiar, managing to spark a few memories of the dream he had last night. He paused for a moment, trying to regain himself. The girl looked at him oddly.

Otonashi: **"That's a very nice name"**

Minoko: **"What's yours?"**

Otonashi: **"Yuzuru Otonashi"**

Minoko: **"Ah, a very mysterious name, yet very beautiful"**

Otonashi: (Placing his hand over his head) **"It is not beautiful... Why can't it be manly?"**

Minoko: (Smiling) **"Sorry, but it's the truth!"** (Remembering why she sat down) **"Oh, by the way, what was on your mind earlier? I'd like to know, if that's alright with you..."**

Otonashi smiled at her concern for his well-being.

Otonashi: **"It's nothing, really. It's kind of silly in fact"**

Otonashi looked up at the sky, putting his book down on his lap, holding his thumb between the pages, not to lose track of his progress.

Minoko: **"Are you sure? It seems like you're pretty deep in thought. Could it be someone you are in love with?"**

Otonashi looked down at her, not necessarily shocked, but gave a slight grin.

Otonashi: (Grinning) **"And what would you know about that?"**

Minoko: **"So it is about someone else! I read you like a book!"**

Otonashi chuckled humbly.

Minoko: **"Hey! What's so funny?!"**

Otonashi: **"You're right"** (Leaning back slightly, looking up) **"It was about two years ago. I met this girl. She actually looked similar to you, except she had gorgeous, long, and white hair, these beautiful golden eyes, and was about as short as you"**

Minoko gave him the face of being insulted, glaring at him. Otonashi laughed. She realized he was joking and laughed as well.

Otonashi: **"She wasn't very talkative, but she was a very modest and quiet girl. She was mysterious in a way, too, but the funny thing was, though her intentions were good, no one understood what she was up to... Everyone else I knew thought she was this angel, whose goal was to remove them from this world... To make us disappear from it. But that wasn't it. All she wanted to do was to make everyone feel at peace with themselves, and to be able to move on without any regrets, to be happy"**

Minoko: **"Disappear? Move on? I don't think I'm catching your story..."**

Otonashi: (Nods head once) **"This world is pretty much purgatory... The reason this world is here is to resolve the lives of those with heavy regrets or a horrible life, and then died with those feelings. When you've managed to fulfill everything you've ever wanted or feel like you've moved on from those bad feelings, you move onto your next life..." **

Minoko looked at Otonashi, feeling partially touched by his explanation and a little mortified by the idea of 'moving on'.

Minoko: **"I think I'd be a little afraid of moving on... What if my next life might be miserable, too? Why can't I just stay here the rest of my existence? It seems nice here"**

Otonashi: (Shrugs once and smiles) **"I would have loved all of us, my friends and myself, and of course her, to all just enjoy the rest of our existence here... I just..."** (Becoming slightly depressed) **"The way she just left... Just destroyed me. I hope she is in a good life though..." **

Minoko: **"She sounds like a very nice girl. I would have loved to know who she was"**

Otonashi: **"Her name was Kanade Tachibana. Most people called her Angel, but that was only because they all thought she was literally an angel sent down by God himself"**

Minoko raised an eyebrow at Otonashi.

Minoko: (Skeptical) **"An angel? God? Really?"**

Otonashi: (Chuckling) **"It's a long, long story... But yeah... After getting to know her, I realized her true intentions, the kind of person she was, and I began to fall in love with her"**

Minoko: **"Wow... She sounds like someone I would have loved meeting"**

Otonashi: (Giving an awkward look to Minoko) **"You've already said that"**

Minoko: **"Did I? Sorry, I'm pretty forgetful"**

Otonshi smiles and continues looking up; his head deep in the clouds. Minoko looks at him, intrigued by his dreamy stare. A short silence envelopes the both of them for a moment.

Minoko: (Quickly creating a subject) **"So I was messing with one of the computers upstairs, and I managed to do something weird"**

Otonashi's concentration was suddenly voided, remembering about the program Angel Player and Kanade's computer.

Otonashi: **"So you found our how to use Angel Player?"**

Minoko: (Gives a confused look) **"Wha? What's that?"**

Otonashi: **"Oh, it's a program that lets you edit virtually anything in this world. It's weird..."**

Otonashi looks at the girl, trying to figure out what her intentions would be if she managed to get a hold of the program.

Otonashi: **"Actually, if her room is still vacant, I can show you the program..."**

Minoko: **"Oh, that'd be sweet! I'd love to see it!"**

Otonashi stands up and shuts his book.

Otonashi: **"On one condition..."**

Minoko gives an annoyed expression.

Minoko: (Rolls eyes) **"Really? Does this involve me getting knee pads or anything of that-"**

Otonashi gives an alarmed look, his cheeks turning bright red.

Otonashi: (Yelling) **"Are you out of your mind?! NO!"**

Otonashi puts his index finger and thumb over his nostrils, trying to regain himself.

Otonashi: (Becoming more calm) **"No, it's nothing like that... I need you to promise me that if you use this program, you won't do anything to disturb anyone else"**

Minoko: **"If this angel program player thingy is so powerful, why show it to me? We've only talked for five minutes, and already you trust me enough to so much as even see it?"**

Otonashi: **"As much as I've enjoyed a tiny bit of time in this world, I've no reason to even be in this world... I don't understand why I'm still here. I still would like it if you respected my wishes, but I wouldn't care to be honest. I don't want to even be here anymore"**

Minoko: (Gives a sympathetic looks) **"When you say it like that..."** (Pauses) **"I won't do anything to disturb the peace... You have my word"**

Otonashi: **"I suppose we should go then. I might need your help though, since her room is of course in the girls' section"**

Minoko: **"But aren't you the student body prez? You can get anywhere on campus and nobody would really care"**

Otonashi stands up and looks ahead.

Otonashi: **"Yeah, but it wouldn't be polite to walk into the girls' section of the dorms without a female escort"**

Minoko: **"Makes sense"**

Otonashi: **"Shall we go? I mean, if you don't mind"**

Minoko: (Motioning her hands to signify she was following) **"Of course!"**

* * *

Five minutes later, both Minoko and Otonashi find themselves inside the girls section of the dorm; Dormitory building 5, second floor.

Minoko:**"So this girl was in this building, too?"**

Otonashi: **"Yeah, she's up this hall right here"**

Minoko follows Otonashi into the hallway, passing many girls, who darted their attention towards Otonashi, smiling and waving at him. He paid little mind to them, only waving lightly at them. They passed a couple of rooms.

Otonashi: **"Her old room, as far as I know has been unoccupied these few years. Her belongings have also been in the same places for as long as I've known"**

Minoko: **"My room is in this hallway, too"**

Otonashi: **"I suppose that's an interesting coincidence"**

As they get closer to the destination, Otonashi looks at each room number, until finally, their destination was reached. Minoko scratches her head in confusion.

Otonashi: **"This is it..."**

Minoko put a hand over her mouth, frowning slightly.

Minoko: **"Umm, Prez..."**

Otonashi ignores her, taking a pair of Angel's old room key and attempting to stick it inside of the door. As Otonashi inserted it inside of the keyhole, he attempted to twist it, but something wasn't right.

Otonashi: (Realizing something was amiss) **"What?"**

The key wouldn't turn. The lock had been changed.

Otonashi: **"I don't understand..."**

Minoko: (Confused) **"Prez... This is my room..."**

Otonashi's eyes widened, looking directly at Minoko. She puts her hand in her pink purse, searching for something. She turns her attention to the door and takes a key out. She sticks it into the keyhole, twists it, and then turns the knob. She pushes the door open lightly, revealing a tidy room with a single twin-sized bed and a small desk to the side.

Otonashi: (Trying hard to stay calm) **"When did you get here?!"**

Minoko: **"I don't know, I think just a few nights ago. I woke up in this room... I honestly am confused myself as to why I'm here. I don't even remember enrolling in this school..."**

Otonashi begins to think to himself...

_Oh great, she has amnesia... She doesn't even know she's dead. What happened to Kanade's room though?_

Otonashi: **"When you woke up in here, did you see a computer or anything of the sort? Any clothes, pictures, anything?"**

Minoko: **"Just my uniforms, my clothes, and my school work..."**

_That's not good..._

Otonashi: (To himself) **"Dammit!"**

Minoko: **"What's wrong?"**

Otonashi: (Solemnly, depressed) **"This was her old room..."**

Minoko: **"I'm sorry, Prez... I didn't mean to cause any harm. I seriously don't even know why or how I'm even here..."**

Otonashi regains his proper posture, realizing it wasn't here fault.

Otonashi: (Depressed) **"Dammit... So I guess everything she owned is gone, too..."**

Minoko: **"Sorry, Prez... You have my undying apologies... I didn't mean to do anything, I swear!"**

Otonashi: **"I can't believe her stuff is just... gone like that? I don't understand... Did someone just take it all? I was just here a few days ago on her computer! I don't get it!"**

Minoko: **"I'm sorry, Prez!"**

Otonashi: (Sympathizing with Minoko) **"It's okay... It's not your fault you died..."**

Monoko's attitude suddenly changed. She became confused as to what Otonashi had just said, allowing a few seconds for Otonashi's last statement to settle in her head.

Minoko: **"Wait, what did you just say?"**

_Oh, damn! She doesn't even know she's dead! I forgot!_

Otonashi: (Deeply sighs) **"Listen, Kyoru... Before I tell you everything, I need you to stay as calm as possible"**

Minoko attempts to regain herself, looking off into space, almost as if a sudden feeling of depression began to envelope every fiber of her being.

Minoko: **"Did you just say... that I'm... Dead?"**

Otonashi walks over to the window and looks out at all of the other students of the school lounging around on the campus.

Otonashi: **"There was a group of us taking a subway. I was on my way to my medical school entrance testing, when the tunnel collapsed. Our train ended up crashing, killing some people, injuring the rest of us. I ended up dying from internal hemorrhaging. When I ended up here, I remembered nothing of it, not even my life. I had to get help from a friend to help me remember..."**

Minoko: (Looking down at her hands) **"I... I can't remember..."**

Otonashi: (Reassuring her) **"I'd personally love to forget everything... Just so I can't feel the pain of losing someone I love"**

Minoko: **"I just can't understand... I don't even remember dying... This is just..."**

Otonashi: **"The idea of this world is to live through life as you would have if you had that perfect life as a teenager... To go to school, enjoy time with your friends, and to fulfill all of the things you never did in your life..."**

Minoko: **"But... I don't even remember... Haven't I always been here?"**

Otonashi: (Sighs) **"You have amnesia... I'm sorry to let you know like this..."**

Otonashi tries to put a hand on her shoulder to signify his sympathy. She tugs away before he could get close. Tears begin forming in her eyes.

Minoko: **"Why...- How?"**

Otonashi puts his hands on her shoulders to help her get a hold of herself.

Otonashi: **"You need to understand... There is a reason why you should treasure not having memories of your life... You should live your life as you have it now... Because if you remember what you did in life, how would you expect to live with those memories?"**

Minoko looks up at Otonashi. Even he felt uncomfortable telling her such blasphemous words. This was completely unorthodox of him to even state.

Minoko: **"But I want to know..."**

Otonashi: **"Listen, you don't... I'm not trying to deprive you of your memories, but I will be the one to tell you, they aren't good!"**

An uncomfortable silence envelopes the room. Minoko gives an uneasy series of short breaths. Otonashi loses his balance and falls back on her bed, sitting down.

Otonashi: **"I would give so much just to forget everything I know now, to live a life without these memories... Nothing hurts more... Than experiencing a death of your own sister, working so hard just to end up dying in some freak accident, losing someone you love and knowing I'd never see her ever again... I want to forget everything..."**

Minoko began to feel sympathetic for Otonashi's dilema. She sat down next to him and padded his arm.

Minoko: **"Maybe... Maybe I can help?"**

Otonashi looked at her and smiled, then shook his head.

Otonashi: **"It's not that simple. You still don't know how this world works, do you?"**

Minoko: **"I don't, but I do know I want to help you..."**

Otonashi looks forward, giving a sigh.

Otonashi: **"What was your idea?"**

Otonashi rolled his eyes at himself, realizing he was about to take an idea from someone he barely knew, and who had only been here for less than a few days.

Minoko: **"When I was working with this computer, I was able to change out a few things in this life; to alter them in some small way. Maybe if it were strong enough, we could find a way to wipe your memory"**

Otonashi waved off her idea, but thought about it for a moment.

_That may not be a terrible idea... As morbid and ludicrous as it may sound..._

Otonashi: **"That's... Probably the most depressing..."** (Pauses) **"...but worthwhile idea I've ever heard... I-... I'd love that"**

Minoko: **"Why do you want to forget so much? Don't you treasure the memories you had? Don't you want to remember the face of the one you loved? All your friends? Your family? Wouldn't it seem right to live on with those memories?"**

Otonashi: **"You're not wrong... But for me to be able to be able to move on from this world, I'd have to force myself to forget"**

Minoko: (Becoming slightly depressed) **"But... If you disappear..."**

Minoko sort of frowns. Otonashi realizes his insensitivity. He gives a solemn smile and puts a hand on her shoulder.

Otonashi: **"Listen... I'm sorry if I said it like that. I don't mean harm in any way. If anything, I think I would love to stay here with you as a friend for a lot longer... I just..."**

Minoko: (Becoming slightly angry) **"You just what..."**

Otonashi backs up, feeling as if he's offended her. He becomes fully aware of the social landmine he's tripped.

Minoko: (Angry) **"Why run away from something that no longer exists?! I understand you lost someone you may have loved, but geez, get a hold of yourself! You said it yourself; this world is just a purgatory! We're only here in transient into the next life... Or whatever lies ahead of this! Why run away from it?! I know you're not a coward, Prez! Stop being such a little... A little...** (Stutters) **"...a little bitch!"**

Otonashi gives a light smiles and lies back on her bed, feeling slightly sorry for himself, but keeping a positive attitude about it. Minoko begins to feel slightly infuriated about his nonchalant attitude.

Minoko: **"Hey! I'm yelling at you! Why aren't you getting pissed or defensive, or whatever?!"**

Otonashi: (Chuckles) **"Because I'm not calling a bluff on your comments"** (Sitting up) **"Everything you said was true. I do want to move on from this world, but to do so, I have to forget about my memories; run away fromy my past... So you're absolutely right"**

Minoko: (Calming down) **"But... Your attitude... You keep... You keep switching... It's like... Everytime you downplay your actions or try to calm me down, it's like you're speaking so humbly... But when you speak about a desire, you... You just..."**

Otonashi begins to realize what she is saying. His facial expression begins to change negatively.

Minoko: **"...It's like you become a completely different person. I understand I've only known you about twenty minutes, but... It's like whenever you talk to somebody, you seem very humble and just so easy-going... But when you talk about your past and stuff, I just feel all cold and depressed... I like the real you... I like your humbleness... I want to know who you really are..."**

Otonashi looks down, putting his hands together, feeling guilty. He looks out the window, at the sunlight.

Otonashi: **"You're right"**

Minoko: **"You keep saying that I'm right, Prez, but... my question to you is, are you going to do anything about it? Are you going to keep running like some coward? Why would you want that? Why would you want to forget? I'm sure this angel wouldn't want that? I know for a fact that the kind of girl she was, wouldn't have loved a coward..."**

A line in Otonashi's brain is tripped.

Otonashi: (Snaps) **"What did you say?!"**

Otonashi becomes flustered and slightly angry.

Minoko: (Crosses her arms) **"I know you heard what I said"**

Otonashi attempts to suppress his anger. He stands up over Minoko, balling his fists, his teeth clenched.

Otonashi: (Angry, attempting to stay calm) **"W-Why would you say that..."**

Otonashi's anger becomes too overwhelming, sweat dripping down from the side of his head, his hair covering the upper area of his face, including his eyes, his head and neck turning red from the emotion emitting from his skin.

Minoko uncrosses her arms and looks closely up at Otonashi's face, unable to see his eyes. She looks at the drop of sweat from the side of his face. She becomes slightly surprised. It wasn't a drop of sweat.

Minoko: (Becoming slightly concerned, feeling sorry) **"Wait, why are you crying?"**

Otonashi doesn't answer. Minoko glares suddenly. She tightens her fist and suddenly bashes him once in the stomach lightly. Otonashi gives one slight groan.

Otonashi: (Gripping his stomach) **"Ow! What the hell was that for?!"**

Otonashi's hair flips out of the way from his eyes, revealing a small, tear trail leading from his eye, to his chin.

Minoko: (Smiling) **"You don't have to run from your past to find happiness, you know... Maybe you just need something else to fill in that void?"**

Otonashi wipes the tear trail, standing tall.

Otonashi: **"Wait, how do you suppose I do that?"**

Minoko: **"Well, maybe you just need something to occupy your time"** (Ponders) **"You said you loved this angel girl, so maybe you just need someone else to love?"**

Otonashi misunderstands the gist of her statement, becoming slightly abash from what he thought was an offer.

Otonashi: **"Are you... Offering your... Yourself to me like that?!"**

Minoko: (Looking at Otonashi with a straight face) **"Well, why not? I think you're cute"**

Otonashi flinches, blushing.

Otonashi: (Yelling) **"You're just going to say it like that?!"**

Minoko:**"And why not? I'm a very straight-forward person..."**

Otonashi gets a hold of himself, smiling**.**

Otonashi: **"That is an amazing offer, but I think love is the last thing I want right now..."**

Minoko: **"Then maybe you just need another incentive"**

Otonashi: **"Incentive? You mean goal?"**

Minoko: **"Hush! I'm just a second year!"**

Otonashi: **"Well, if you still want to make a recreation of Angel Player, we can start on that..."**

Minoko: (Raising an eyebrow at Otonashi) **"You're not going to wipe your mind, are you?"**

Otonashi looks out the window, thinking for a good moment.

Otonashi: **"You know... You're right... About Kanade not wanting that... Me running away from my past I mean. Maybe it's just something I have to get past on my own"**

Minoko: **"That's the spirit!"**

Minoko suddenly pulls on his arm, running out of the door. Otonashi is hit by surprise and follows her.

Minoko:** "Come on! Let's get going!"**

Moments later, they both find each other in the computer lab in the library's second floor. Both sit at computer 2A; Minoko logging onto the computer.

Minoko: **"This is the computer I was working on. Hopefully I saved all my stuff!"**

Otonashi sits in a chair behind her, watching over her shoulder.

Otonashi: **"What exactly did you do to alter reality with this thing?"**

Minoko opens up a saved notepad file and reveals a group of lines that Otonashi couldn't understand; a scripting language.

Otonashi: **"I don't mean to burst your bubble, but I have no idea how I can help with this. I don't understand this language at all..."**

Minoko: **"I do. I can teach you"** (Pulls Otonashi closer to her chair) **"Pull your chair next to mine!"**

Otonashi pulls his chair close enough to where the both of them almost touched. Otonashi watched as she explained everything she knew so far about the scripting language. She typed in a few lines and pointed out the area around them where a small bit of the reality around them would change, whether it be a slight pixilization or static occurring in a certain spot around them, Otonashi was amazed at how she was able to do such a thing, and was even more amazed he was going to learn how to do the same thing, and that he was going to possibly even recreate the Angel Player program.

Days passed, and Otonashi began to get even more into the scripting program. The both of them continued to practice and create new scripts and files to add to their growing program. Minoko also had much to learn, but gave Otonashi instruction every chance she got when she learned something brand new. He and her became close friends in turn. Despite him filling in a small void, a large hole in his heart still held its place for the love he lost two years before: Kanade Tachibana...

* * *

Weeks passed...

15:00 / 7:00 PM - Computer Lab

Minoko: **"So this is how it looked?"**

The sun set past the window behind them. Otonashi turned from his computer to view the one Minoko worked on. She double-clicks on the program she managed to finish and opened a blue-colored console on her monitor labeled 'Angel Player'.

Otonashi: **"That's... exactly how it looked... Wow that's amazing!"**

Random students began looking at the clock, realizing it was late. They waved at Minoko and Otonashi as they left.

Students: **"Bye, Prez!"**

Otonashi looks back at them and waves back, smiling.

Otonashi: **"It is getting quite late, and I'm sure they're fixing to close out the computer lab soon, so we might have to finish this up quickly"**

Minoko: **"Right!"**

Minoko allows the program to open up completely, revealing a console with a list of applications and executions to carry out. Minoko becomes slightly disappointed at how slow the program began moving.

Minoko: (Disappointed) **"This is..."**

Otonashi: **"What's wrong?"**

Minoko: **"These computers are slow... I can't handle but a few processes with this program... We wouldn't be able to change but one type of action with this..."**

Minoko began to ponder for a moment. She looked around, looking at all of the books, windows, computers, and other surroundings. Her attention began to veer towards all of the other computers in the room.

Minoko: **"Oh, that's it!"**

Otonashi is slightly alarmed by her sudden exclamation.

Otonashi: **"What's what?"**

Minoko: (Admiring her sudden idea) **"That's ingenius!"**

Otonashi: (Chucking) **"Are you going to tell me or what?"**

Minoko: **"One computer alone is completely useless when you try to run many processes with this program! But if you take the same program with different processes and run them on many different computers, your possibilities become endless!"**

Otonashi is amazed at her sudden burst of thought.

_Wow... She's right! One computer alone can't handle the workload of many processes... But multiple systems would be able to run the extra work much more efficiently! She's a genius!"_

Otonashi: **"That's a great idea!"**

A teacher suddenly walks into the computer lab.

Teacher: **"Alright, you two, it's time to close up. It's getting late"**

Otonashi and Minoko: **"Yes, sensei"**

Minoko: **"We can finish this program later on tomorrow. I'll save it on a thumb drive"**

Otonashi smiles and walks out of the room. The teacher follows along, leaving Minoko in the room alone. As she saves her program on her personal thumb drive, she puts her hands up to her mouth and bites her lip.

Minoko: (To herself) **"Gah! You're such an idiot! Just say something! Anything!"**

Otonashi peeks his head into the room to make sure his friend was doing alright.

Otonashi: **"Hey, are you okay?"**

Minoko: (Taken by surprise) **"Oh, uh, yeah! I'm fine! Just a second; I'll be finished soon!"**

Otonashi nods and walks back out. Minoko sighs and pulls her thumb drive out of the computer, then shuts it off. She grabs her purse and walks out of the room, following Otonashi.

The both of them walk outside of the building onto the campus courtyard, facing the large staircase and fountain. Minoko and Otonashi sit on a stone bench, observing the other students making their way into their rescpective dormitory buildings as the sun begins setting past the treeline ahead of the multi-sport field.

Minoko: **"It's so nice out! If this is what death is like, then... I'm glad I died!"** (Laughing)

Otonashi: **"I suppose it is nice out. I can't say I'm glad I died, but the lessons I've learned here were lessons I'd hope to remember wherever I end up going after this"**

Minoko stops laughing and begins to frown after hearing his last statement. Otonashi realizes she's stopped laughing and looks down to his right at her.

Otonashi: **"Hey, what's the matter?"**

Minoko: **"It's just..."** (Bites lower lip) **"I'm kind of..."**

Otonashi raises his eyebrow in confusion.

Otonashi: **"Spit it out, will ya?"**

Minoko: **"Well, if I hadn't of died, I would have never..."** (Pauses shortly)

Otonashi: **"Would have never... What"**

Minoko: (Quiet) **"I would have never met you..."**

Otonashi barely heard her, but understood exactly what she meant. He stands up in slight shock, but is stricken by her admittance. She stands up facing him, clenching her hands to her chest.

Minoko: (Exclaiming) **"No, wait! I mean... No! I don't mean it like..."**

Otonashi regains his own composure, putting his hand behind his neck, trying to ease the situation.

Otonashi: **"I... I knew what you meant"** (Smiles) **"I'm extremely flattered to say the least"**

Minoko holds her nervous stance, almost shaking. She begins to blush wildly. Otonashi laughs. Suddenly, out of some unknown act, as a tear begins trailing from her eyes, she jumps at him and embraces him, almost slapping her cheek on Otonashi's chest. Otonashi is taken by surprise. They both pause in the moment. Otonashi doesn't understand very well what just happened. There is a long silence as she holds onto his body.

Minoko: **"I..."** (Pauses) **"I..."**

Otonashi: (Murmuring to himself in amazement) **"How can this... No way... Am I...?"**

Minoko: **"I...-"**

Otonashi's mind begins to race, understanding completely what Minoko was about to say.

_No way! This can't be! Is the void really disappearing in my heart?! It can't be! This very void that was caused by Kanade's disappearance... It's going away? I can't believe it! I think..."_

Minoko: **"I...-"**

Otonashi: (Interrupting her) **"I think I love you, Minoko..."**

Her eyes suddenly bolt open, looking directly up at Otonashi.

Otonashi's mind suddenly ticks, realizing the very meaning of his sentence has triggered something he wished would never happen again. As soon as he saw her eyes suddenly grow with surprise and her smile widen, Otonashi began to change his stare from a gaze of happiness, into a realization of what was to happen.

_No... Wait! NO! That's not what I wanted! This isn't it! No! Stop!_

Minoko: **"It's all... Coming back... I... I remember now"**

Minoko closes her eyes, allowing the tears trapped behind her lashes to suddenly fall down her rosy cheeks. Memories of her past began to flow vividly into her head, flashing into her mind like a movie.

Minoko: **"All I ever wanted..."**

Otonashi stares in horror, suddenly finding himself embracing her even harder, beginning to tear up.

Otonashi: **"Stop! No! Wait!"**

Minoko ignored him, remembering everything from her life.

Minoko: (Tearing up, murmuring out loud) **"All I ever wanted..."**

Otonashi closes his eyes, tearing heavily, hoping what was to come was not about to happen. He embraces her harder than before, hoping his grip wouldn't allow the inevitable. Then... Silence...

Minoko: (Whispering as she cried) **"...was love..."**

And as Otonashi's eyes suddenly bolted open again, he fell over, landing on his right shoulder, landing on the tears that had just fallen from Minoko's face. And just as quickly as he met her, she was gone.

* * *

Otonashi lied there for hours, even falling asleep on that same spot, drowning in his own sorrow, lying next to her purse; the only thing he had left to prove her very existence. As the sun rose, Otonashi is met by a crowd of students forming around him in a circle, whispering about him.

**"Whoah... I wonder what happened" "Is he okay?" "Why's he always so depressed?" "Why is he lying next to a purse?" "I wonder what's in the purse"**

Otonashi sat up, giving a surprise to the other students around him.

Students: **"Is the Prez alright?"**

Otonashi looks up at the other students. They all suddenly realize the awkwardness of the situation and walk away hesitantly, dispersing the crowd. Otonashi sits there silently for a moment. He looks down at the pink purse next to him, which was slightly opened. He notices a small object hidden behind an array of small makeup kits and personal objects.

Without caution, he sticks his hand inside and feels a small, plastic object with a metal square at the end. He pulls it out, putting it up to his face to get a look at it. It was a white thumb drive that had the Angel Player program template on it. Suddenly, memories of him and Minoko's plans become to form into his head, playing quotes like a soundtrack.

_Minoko:__**"One computer alone is completely useless when you try to run many processes with this program! But if you take the same program with different processes and run them on many different computers, your possibilities become endless!"**_

**_ "When I was working with this computer, I was able to change out a few things in this life; to alter them in some small way. Maybe if it were strong enough, we could find a way to wipe your memory"_**

**_ "Well, if you still want to make a recreation of Angel Player, we can start on that..."_**

Otonashi begins to stand up, forgetting about the purse, suddenly feeling as if a puppetmaster had taken complete control over his body. His gaze, his demeanor... All of it retained no feeling or emotion whatsoever. Otonashi had become a shell of what was a boy.

As weeks pass, Otonashi, instead of going to class, had spent his time within the confines of the computer lab, perfecting the program, and even recreating it to handle different processes, then installing the different versions of Angel Player on the other computers to handle the many different processes he intended. As the days passed, his demeanor never changed. Teachers began to hark on him about his constant class-skipping and his countless hours spent on the computers. To rectify the situation, Otonashi began, at night, secretly taking out the computers from the computer room one-by-one.

As Otonashi snuck through the library building's upper stories, towards the computer lab, he runs into a building custodian, who questioned his presence. Otonashi doesn't answer, and is sent to his room. The next day, he wakes up and is walked to each of his classes personally by his own teachers. Later that day, he is forced to resign from his position as student body president for attempted theft of school property. Otonashi's hopelessness fuels his drive to complete the recreated Angel Player program.

In the middle of the night, Otonashi remembers a small entrance of the computer lab Yuri had shown him years ago, right below the computer lab, a tunnel leading into the depths of The Guild. Otonashi, without any fear, crawls through the depths of The Guild's old entrance, walking past old, traps that had already been long triggered and disassembled. He finds the entrance to the computer lab on the bottom floor of The Guild. He climbs up the ladder with determination, then bursts his way into the floor of the computer lab.

One-by-one, computers were taken into the depths of the guild. One-by-one, Otonashi worked on each one, hooking them into one common system within a small cave within The Guild. Monitors and computers lined the walls. Each with its significant use and processes. Otonashi worked for weeks, nonstop, not appearing above ground at all for class, food, or drink. Many times, he h`ad starved, thirsted, and not once did he stop.

Suddenly, as if he had remembered a story within a dream he had months before, he saw Yuri's face...

_Yuri:__**" 'The Programmer', is what he was called, created Angel Player while he lived in that world as a human. He created it to be able to control the world and to remove love from there. But th conversion program detected it, and from what I was informed, that's how 'The Programmer' turned himself into an NPC…"**_

He remembered that one sentence she had said. Otonashi realized what she had said, explained the very answer to solving his own problem. To help him forget. To allow him to move on. To force his feelings to disappear. He must destroy himself. Otonashi wanted to embed his soul into that of what was the entire school's population... As an NPC.

A computer Otonashi had put up before had its screen lit, letters and numbers lining the screen in a complex coding. Otonashi looked at it, knowing what it was doing. He looked at it and put his finger on the enter key, pressing it once.

A pop-up on a computer screen popped up with the words _"Are you sure?"_ Otonashi pressed the enter key once more. Another pop-up appears... _"There is no turning back after this"_. Otonashi disregards the warning, pressing the enter key for the last time.

_"The Programmer transformation process initiated..."_


	18. Chapter 18: Wake Up!

Author's Note:

Hey, guys. Out finally with a new addition. I saw a lot of questions pertaining to the last chapter I posted about Otonashi waking back up in his dormitory. I will not say whether it was a dream or a vision, however I will say it was a glimpse of what sort of happened before Yuri appeared in the afterlife purgatory. I will leave the speculations for you guys to figure out.

* * *

Chapter 18: Wake Up!

The light beckons his eyes as he laid in bed, slipping away from his dream. Crobars in the form of light cramming itself in-between his eyelids and forcing them open. Was this a dream? What was real? Is everything just a figment of some twisted reality? Slowly he came to, trying to open his eyes, awakened to a blurred vision, unable to make heads or tails of the situation before him. The pitter-patter of feet shuffling through the area around him only confused him more. He sat up; his vision became more clear. He looked to his right, and there... Hinata laid unconscious, his hands glowing, and a glowing shield around all of them. Suddenly, everything came back, as if he had recovered every bit of memory in an instant. His eyes suddenly widened quickly and he stood, darting his vision all around him.

Otonashi: (Yelling) **"Hey! What's going on?! Where...?!"**

Suddenly, Hinata's hands lost their glow, and the force field around them began to dissipate.

Artemus: **"Hinata saved us"**

Otonashi looked down to his right; Artemus sitting next to Tskukaro, who was still unconscious, holding his katana across his lap.

Otonashi: **"What happened?! I thought Hideki and the others were dead!"**

Artemus: **"It seems your friend had just enough energy to put up a barrier to protect us from the explosion. Luckily, too. We would have been goners. By the time we would have recovered from that, we'd be captured"**

Otonashi became surprised, looking directly at Hinata and the others.

Otonashi: **"So... How long was I out?"**

Artemus: **"Well, we still got the shock of the explosion, so you must have taken a small blow, but I never knew you were knocked unconscious... From what I saw, you were knocked to the ground a little bit, then got right back up and confused as hell"**

Otonashi: (Amazed) **"Wait, no way... That dream..."**

Artemus: (Confused) **"Huh? What are you talking about?"**

Otonashi: **"No! You don't understand!"** (Pauses) **"I had a dream..."**

Artemus: (Sarcastic) **"Yeah? You had a dream?" Well so did some American rights activist... What makes you so special?"**

Otonashi: (Aggitated) **"I'm serious!"**

Artemus: (Laughing) **"Calm down, I was joking..."** (Regaining serious composure) **"We need to call for help. The enemy will be here any moment"**

A few footsteps approach them from behind, but before they could react, a female voice replies to Artemus' overheard statement.

Yuri: **"So you need help, eh?"**

Otonashi: **"Yuri!"**

Artemus: (Holding his bearing) **"Nakamura! I'd never thought it'd be so relieving to see you"**

Yuri: (Slightly insulted) **"What's that supposed to mean?!"**

Artemus: **"No need to take it as an insult... I was expressing a feeling of gratitude"** (Chuckles) **"Did you bring anyone else?"**

Yuri: **"They will be here momentarily... With guns, too"**

Otonashi: (Interrupting) **"We have a slight emergency... We have four people in dire need of transport. Kanade is still alive, but... I don't know for how much longer. She's hurt pretty badly"**

Yuri looked over at all of the individuals on the ground. Yuri grunts, fearing the worst has come true.

Yuri: **"I was hoping this wasn't what happened. That blast looked pretty huge... I figured there'd be casualties..."**

Otonashi: **"Fortunately Artemus, Kanade, and myself are alive... I guess Hinata gave up every bit of his energy to save us with a barrier..."**

Yuri walks over to Kanade, who was propped in front of a tree, trying to stay conscious.

Yuri: **"Kanade... Don't die... Help is on the way, okay?"**

Angel tries to look up at Yuri. She smiles and nods her head. Yuri's attention is drawn to the individual in the jacked up clothing, lying a small distance away from her.

Yuri: **"Who the hell is that?"**

Artemus: **"We think he might be one of our guys. An old S-20 officer"**

Yuri: **"An officer? As in police?"**

Artemus: (Chuckles) **"No, I mean a military officer"**

Yuri: **"A military? I thought... Oh right! I forgot you guys ran your faction much like the military"**

Artemus: **"Precisely..."** (Looks down at the incapacitated S-20 member) **"This individual was a member of the Three-Headed Beast, the same group I am in now. I've probably mentioned this once before, but the Three-Headed Beast group is run by three people: Kaishine, myself, and Ishono"**

Otonashi: **"I remember what you said. You three apparently are the direct contacts to your Master"**

Artemus nods his head.

Yuri: **"So one of you must have replaced this individual if he was in your elite group"**

Artemus: **"But that's just it... I've never heard of us ever losing anyone of such rank in any battles, let alone as a prisoner"**

Yuri: **"Maybe you guys have some secrets"**

Artemus: (Putting his index finger to his chin) **"You may be right... Though it is quite a shame for me to even say, considering that the only ones higher ranking than Kaishine and myself are Ishono and Master Romatsu..."**

Yuri: **"Just wondering, what is your actual rank?"**

Artemus: **"Oh, I never actually told you guys our ranking structure, did I?"**

Yuri: **"No, you didn't"**

Artemus: **"Kaishine and I are both Vice Generals"**

Otonashi and Yuri jump is surprise.

Otonashi: (Shocked) **"What the hell?! You're both Generals?!"**

Yuri: **"What's this?!"**

Artemus: (Chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck) **"Yeah, sorry about that..."**

Otonashi: **"Wait! What?! I can't believe this!"**

Artemus: **"You guys shouldn't look at us any different than you have though... To be honest, we both did notify you all that we were some of the top leaders of S-20... So this shouldn't be of surprise to any of you..."**

Yuri: **"That's true... But we're yet to meet this Ishono guy..."**

Artemus: **"Ishono is the only person, other than master who is above us. He holds the rank of General. We never see him ourselves. He's the warden of the S-20 Holding Facility"**

Otonashi: (Surprised) **"What? The warden?!"**

Artemus: **"Yes..."**

Otonashi: **"As in... A prison?"**

Artemus: **"That is correct"**

Yuri: **"But..."**

Artemus: (Interrupts) **"In this world, of course you all know that we cannot die, and with that being said, neither can the enemy..."**

Otonashi: **"So you guys put them in a prison cell..."**

Artemus: (Nods) **"After much time, their soul becomes helpless, lonely, and without purpose, and so they pass on after a while. It's called the Soul Vitiation Theory"**

Otonashi: **"Vitiation? What the hell is that?"**

Angel: (Monotonous) **"Vitiation means to degrade"**

Otonashi's attention is immediately turned to Angel, quickly running over to her and kneeling at her side.

Otonashi: **"Kanade! Are you alright?"**

Angel: **"I am fine. Don't worry about me. My passive overdrive allows for a quick recovery"**

Angel slowly begins to stand up. Otonashi tries grabbing onto her shoulders. She puts her hands over his hands to reassure him that there is no worry.

Angel: **"I believe our friends our here now"**

Pitter-patter of footsteps are heard. From behind Yuri, multiple bodies run past the wood line. Matsushita5, Noda, Chaa, and Takamatsu all walk out, holding their weapons.

Noda: **"What the hell happened here?"**

As they survey the area, they notice a large crater where the bomb exploded.

Matsushita5: **"Looks like you guys had some fun here"**

Yuri: **"Oh, you guys are late..."**

Noda: **"But you kind of just left us..."**

Artemus: **"We need help moving these bodies. The enemy will be here any moment"**

As Matsushita5, Takamatsu, and Noda began picking up the bodies of Hinata, Tsukaro, Ooyama, Fujimaki, and the unknown soldier, loud pings on trees near them were being smashed with pellet-sounding projectiles. Everyone is startled, but understood what was happening.

Yuri: (Yelling) **"Sniper!"**

Matsushita5: **"We got the bodies!"**

Yuri: (Yelling) **"THEN RUN!"**

Matsushita5 carried Hinata and Fujimaki on both his shoulders, while Takamatsu carried Ooyama and the unknown soldier, Noda carried Tsukaro. They all began running. Yuri tried following along signaling everyone else to follow.

Yuri: **"Let's go! Hurry!"**

As Yuri and everyone began to move, another sound of an impacting bullet sounded. Suddenly, Yuri screamed and tripped over. Artemus and Otonashi looked down right where she fell. Yuri began to tear up in pain, squinting her eyes and gritting her teeth together roughly. She gave out prolonged yells and whines, trying to bare the extreme pain, realizing she had been hit. She grips her leg. They look down at her and notice her ankle was shattered by the sniper, which bled profusely, painting the ground red as she tried moving.

Yuri: (Yelling, in extreme pain) **"Shit!"**

Otonashi: **"Yuri!"**

Otonashi looks back and looks over at a large hill where he couldn't see anything. Suddenly, he sees a noticeable flash. Quickly, his eyes widen. He tackles Artemus to the ground.

Otonashi: **"Get down!"**

As they hit the ground, a bullet whizes past Artemus' head, hitting the ground, spitting up some dirt. Suddenly, as they recover, Otonashi grins evily.

Otonashi: **"War Skill, Prismatic Bolt!"**

Two long, jagged blades begin pixelating from Otonashi's cuffs. Otonashi quickly aims it where he saw the flash. Without hesitating, he quickly raises his left arm and fires his blade. The blade travelled quickly, slicing through the air. As it travelled through the air without any arch, it began picking up speed. Suddenly, the bolt disappeared on the hill somewhere, wherever he aimed.

Otonashi: **"I got 'em!"**

Artemus: **"How are you so sure?"**

A few seconds later, a blade began to pixelate once again from his left cuff. Blood dripped from the orange-ish blade.

Artemus: (Raising an eyebrow nonchalantly) **"I have no objection to your clause"**

Otonashi withdraws his blades. He kneels down by Yuri and grabs her by the arms. Angel quickly helps out, picking up Yuri's gun on the ground. Otonashi carries her in his arms. Yuri tries baring the extreme pain in her right ankle, not even noticing that Otonashi picked her up. She looks up and suddenly her face turns red. She looks in another direction, hoping nobody would notice. Suddenly, they all begin to run in the direction the others ran.

7:00 AM / Campsite

Otonashi takes a seat inside of a medical tent, next to Yuri's bed. She was propped up by pillows, sitting up, trying to suppress the pain. Her foot hung off to the side, sitting on a propped table, caked with dried blood and her wounded ankle. Though it was healing very quickly, a nasty gash still existed, and crimson-covered bone was exposed.

Otonashi: (Slightly disgusted) **"That's a nasty wound you have... Are you doing okay?"**

Yuri: **"I just got shot in the foot by a 7.62 millimeter bullet in the ankle, and you ask me if I am okay?"** (Frustrated; yelling) **"I'm doing peachy, kind sir!"** (Murmuring) **"I hate your freaking guts right now"**

Yuri crosses her arms and glares.

Otonashi: (Rubbing the back of his neck and giving a fake chuckle and smile) **"Sorry, guess it kind of hurts then..."**

Otonashi's expression becomes a little more solemn now. He frowns and loses eye-contact with Yuri.

Otonashi: (Solemnly; apologetic) **"Hey, Yuri... I'm sorry if things didn't go the way you intended... I know you want to help Chaa mine those rocks to forge a weapon... I want to let you know that I want to keep trying..."**

Yuri: (Smiles) **"I don't intend on quitting either... But to be honest, it's not about me... It's about them, and you"**

Otonashi looks up at her.

Yuri: **"We have a contract to uphold with God, and if we succeed, we can pick any type of afterlife we want..."**

Otonashi: **"But how do we know what he considers finished?"**

Yuri: **"To be honest, I don't know... But I'm not going to stop"**

Otonashi smiles at her, then puts his hand over shoulder to let her know he's there for her.

Otonashi: **"We're all here for you. All of us are behind you, and you know that. I'm sure we'd all be willing to follow you through any mission, as we have before"**

Yuri: (Smiling) **"Thanks, Otonashi"**

Otonashi pauses for a moment, remembering about that dream he had. He twiddles with his fingers, trying to remember the events.

Otonashi: **"I had an interesting dream while I was unconscious earlier... When that huge explosion happened"**

Yuri knew that it was something interesting if Otonashi brought it up in such an odd fashion. She sat up more, trying to hear his story.

Otonashi: **"I woke up in that purgatory world as if I never came here, as if it was just another morning over there... I met this girl, and I remember her name..."** (Trying to remember) **"I think it was umm... Minoko..."**

Yuri: **"First name?"**

Otonashi:** "That was her first name... I'm trying to remember her last"** (Pauses) **"Kyoru! It was Minoko Kyoru!"**

Yuri didn't seem to recognize a name like that. She looked at Otonashi awkwardly.

Yuri: **"What does this have to do with anything though?"**

Otonashi: **"Well, when I met her, she was very forward. She was also very beautiful"**

Yuri: **"Oh? Kind of like someone you know?"**

Otonashi: **"It's weird though... Because she looked almost exactly like Tsukaro and Kanade..."** (Pauses) **"She had long and dark red hair, really light skin, and seemed pretty energetic. It was weird... And that's not even the most interesting part... She told me that she had found a way to alter reality with computer programming. I figured she found the Angel Player program, so I asked her about it. She told me she had never heard of it..."**

Yuri: **"Wait, when did this 'dream' take place?"**

Otonashi: **"Well, if I had never disappeared from that purgatory world, and had woke up the next morning there, that's probably when it would have occurred"** (Pauses) **"I showed her to Kanade's old room, because I knew her old computer had Angel Player installed on it. When I went to her room, it was all gone... Her computer, her old dresser, and everything. It was as if someone remodelled it and took everything out!"**

Yuri: **"Oh, wow, that is weird..."**

Otonashi: **"And it gets even more weird... It was because Kanade's room had been given to someone else. It was that girl I met. She was the new owner of it"**

Yuri didn't seem to really see it as much of a big deal, but she definitely found it pretty interesting that all of this seemed to happen like it did in his 'dream'. Though it seemed crazy, Yuri knew something was up.

Otonashi: **"Well, she told me she was saddened by my sob story about how Kanade and you guys disappeared, and how I was the only one left... And then, I told her I'd promise to help her rebuild Angel Player from scratch with her... Well, we managed to do it, but then... I guess..."** (Becoming slightly nervous) **"I think I fell in love with her in my dream, but then... She disappeared..."** (Becoming more solemn) **"And it gets even more weird... After she disappears, I become this anti-social guy, stealing computers..."**

Yuri's eyes dart upward and she gasps slightly. Otonashi doesn't notice. Her eyes begin to shake, suddenly going to a flashback in a distant memory when she existed in the afterlife school, remembering of computers being stolen from the computer lab.

Otonashi: **"I ended up creating this big control center... Computer monitors and wires everywhere, and I was able to control everything in that world... But then... I remember..."**

Yuri looked at him, her eyes shaking, trying to guess what he'd say next. If she was right about the very next thing Otonashi would say, she would have belief that everything about the past will have been tied together by just one soul, in one continuous sob story.

Otonashi: **"I pressed a button to activate some program... My vision went black, and then I saw a few words just suddenly appear before I woke up here... It read ****_The Programmer transformation process initiated..._****"**

Suddenly, Yuri's heart skipped. She jerked back, realizing everything she had heard had connected so well with everything she knew. Otonashi realized something was wrong. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

Otonashi: **"Are you okay, Yuri?"**

Yuri: (In shock) **"No way..."**

Otonashi: (Confused) **"What? What is it? Tell me!"**

Yuri: **"Otonashi... If everything you told me was in fact a vision of the past... That would mean..."**

She paused for a moment, trying to reassure herself, putting everything together. She looked down at her lap with widened eyes.

Otonashi: **"What is it?!"**

Yuri: **"You're an incarnation of the loved one of Kaishine Tsukaro's past incarnation..."**

Otonashi's eyes widened.

Otonashi: **"Wait, I don't understand... How would you know this?"**

Yuri: **"Your so called dream could have been a vision of the distant past. This Minoko girl was Tsukaro's past incarnation. She appeared in your dream, then you and her 'recreated' Angel Player. After doing so, you admitted your love to her. She disappeared. After doing so, you hoped she would return one day, so to pass the time, you attempted to polish and perfect the recreated Angel Player program, but you did it in an underground area. After a while, you couldn't bare to wait any longer, so you turned yourself into an NPC"**

Otonashi: (Surprised) **"What the hell?! You got all of that from just me telling you my dream?!"**

Yuri: **"Everything just matches up so clearly... It all seems to just make sense..."**

Otonashi: **"But... I couldn't love Tsukaro!"**

Yuri: **"But you did at some point in a past life"**

Otonashi: **"That's if your conclusion is even right! All of it right now is just speculation... We can't just go back in time and solve it... I'm sorry to shoot your thoughts down, Yuri... I'm not saying it isn't true. If it is though, why would it matter to the now? We have to find that material for you and Chaa, so you guys can make this weapon..."**

Yuri: (Looking down in slight dismay) **"You're right... We can figure this out later..."**

Otonashi smiles and walks up next to her bed. He puts a hand on her shoulder and looks down at her.

Otonashi: **"I'm sorry, Yuri. I'm not trying to disappoint you. What you figured out so far is something I couldn't have even comprehended ever. I'm amazed actually that you were able to think of it. I really am! We can all figure it out together later though. The important thing is that we get home safe though with our objective reached"**

Yuri smiles and puts her hand over Otonashi's hand, which held onto her shoulder.

Yuri: **"Thank you"**

Otonashi slips away from her soft touch, leaving the tent, leaving Yuri to rest. As Otonashi is welcomed by the early sunrise, he stretches, allowing his body to bask in the light.

Otonashi: (To himself) **"I wonder how long it's been since we've all slept"**

Otonashi looks all over, seeing the exhausted group all sitting down and trying not to fall asleep. All except Angel, who sat on a tree stump with Takeyama's laptop, having Angel Player opened up on it. Otonashi smiles and walks over to her.

Otonashi: (Walking up from behind Angel) **"What are you up to now?"**

Angel: **"I'm curious. I want to figure out why you aren't able to have guard skills"**

Otonashi: **"But I'm content with having the offensive skills that I've been-..."**

Angel: (Interrupts) **"...You are not"**

Otonashi is taken aback by her notion.

Otonashi: **"What makes you want to say that?"**

Angel: **"Each time I see you use them, you seem to hesitate, as if you don't want to use them, as if you are afraid"**

Otonashi: **"Afraid of what?"**

Angel: **"For one, I didn't think you were the type to hurt others"**

Otonashi: (Shrugs and smiles) **"Well, of course not. I've never liked hurting people, even if I didn't like them, but if I have to, I can't just let them hurt my friends, or you"**

Angel looks back at him, trying to read his eyes. She looks back at the screen and tries typing in a few keys into the computer program.

Otonashi: (Nonchalantly) **"You are right though. I am afraid to use them"**

Angel stops tying.

Otonashi: **"I remember when we first encountered that one girl, what was her name? The one who attacked GlDeMo during one of our operations"**

Angel: **"Mesome Hiramo"**

Otonashi: **"Erm... Yeah... Her"** (Pauses) **"Well, when she attacked, I remember using my Prismatic Bolts... I accidentally hit you, and almost killed you... The skills I have been given were programmed for offensive strategy, not defensive... So I've been kind of afraid to use them"**

Angel: **"But earlier today, you also used it to kill a sniper, yes?"**

Otonashi: (Remembering) **"Yeah, I guess I did"**

Angel: **"There is not reason to be afraid of your skills, Yuzuru. You're still learning how to use them"**

Otonashi: **"I know that, but still..."**

Angel: **"Don't worry about what happened before. Just keep using them"**

Otonashi: **"So wait, what exactly is the point of you searching up our skills anyways?"**

Angel: **"I'm curious about something"**

Otonashi curiously tries looking over what she was doing on the computer. Sure enough, Angel Player was open, but he couldn't understand a single thing she did on it. He rubbed his eyes and padded his hand on her head, smiling.

Otonashi: **"I'll never understand technology in this world..."**

Suddenly, Otonashi had a sudden flashback of his dream, remembering the large computer room with countless machines and wires. He shook it off and continued on.

Tsukaro laid in a bed inside of a tent, next to Fujimaki and Ooyama. Her eyes opened to the sunlight that lead through the cracked tent entrance flap. She shielded her eyes from the bright light and then sat up, trying to recall everything. She looked around her to find the other two boys resting.

Artemus: **"Finally awake?"**

Her attention was brought to her far left, near the tent wall, where sat Artemus.

Artemus: **"You've recovered rather quickly I should say. It's a good thing, too"**

Tsukaro: **"What happened?"**

Artemus: (Yelling in a humorous voice) **"You got knocked the fugg out!"**

Tsukaro couldn't help but to feel like she's heard that saying somewhere. She sat up and looked at him with an annoyed face.

Tsukaro: (Sarcastic) **"Oh, ha-ha, you think you're so funny, don't you?!"**

Artemus: **"Chill, chill! It's just a joke, my dear!"**

Tsukaro crosses her arms in annoyance. Artemus places a hand on his forehead, sighing deeply.

Artemus: **"We were lead into a trap. There were multiple explosions, and you ended up blacking out along with Ooyama and Fujimaki"**

Tsukaro: **"What about that other guy? That supposed S20 officer?"**

Artemus: **"It's odd I will say... He is indeed an S20 member, and a former commander at that... However I have never heard of him. I talked to him briefly. He's awake in confinement right now. It's an interesting case. His name is Koyoru Umi"**

Tsukaro: (Yelling, sitting up in surprise) **"OH! No way!"**

Artemus: **"So I take it you know him?"**

Tsukaro: **"Well, not exactly. He disappeared years ago... Way before you got here. It was even before my time! I remember hearing that name though. He was an old commander. A Vice General at that!"**

Artemus: **"I wonder... How the hell did he manage to get captured?"**

Tsukaro: **"I think I heard about his mishap trying to take a group of other S20 soldiers to an old hideout of a demon or something"**

Artemus: **"A demon? Oh, that's not good at all"** (Pausing for a moment) **"Wait, you don't think that maybe..."**

Artemus expresses his worry in a question, trying not to show too much emotion.

Tsukaro: **"It's possible that we could be near this demon's hideout"**

Artemus: **"Aren't you supposed to be the Faction Historian though?"**

Tsukaro: (Snapping back) **"Hey, don't look at me! I only heard very little of this event. Master Romatsu and former members of the Three-Headed Beast didn't really release much information about it. I was just a Junior Cadet at the time"**

Artemus: **"And since those members are probably gone, the only one who would know about this would be Master Romatsu and this Umi guy"**

Tsukaro: **"But we're so far from home!"**

Artemus: **"Well then I suppose we have to figure out this on our own. Maybe we can slay ourselves a demon?"**

Both Artemus and Tsukaro smile.

Tsukaro: **"Well, I can see Ooyama and Fujimaki doing fine, but how are Kanade and Otonashi doing?"**

Artemus: **"They are recovering. Nakamura also came. She ended up taking a nasty hit to her ankle. It was pretty gruesome"**

Tsukaro: **"Ouch...?"**

Artemus: **"She'll be fine"**

Suddenly, voices are heard outside. A struggle seemed to ensue. Yelling began to erupt, and a brawl between what sounded like Matsushita5 and someone else urged.

Matsushita5: (From outside, yelling) **"Stand down! Get back here, you bastard!"**

Artemus quickly jumped out of the tent to see what was happening. He looked out and saw Matsushita5 trying to grapple the escaped detainee. Artemus ran into the fray, quickly grabbing onto Umi and slamming him onto the ground, along with Matsushita5, hitting with a loud and heavy 'thud'! Noda, Yusa, and few GlDeMo members watch as Matsushita5 and Artemus gain control of the detainee.

Umi: (Yelling) **"Get the hell off me! I came too far to get captured by some teenage punk!"**

Umi looks up, seeing Artemus' arm, which from below exposed the skin on the side of his shoulder, below his black shirt's short sleeve, revealing a red tattoo similar to that of the three-headed dragon one that Umi had.

Umi: (Towards Artemus; yelling) **"You!"**

Artemus stops, keeping pressure on Umi, trying to keep him steady and pinned down.

Artemus: (Pointing to himself) **"Me?"**

Umi: **"Yes, you, old boy!"**

Artemus: "**Uhh..."**

Umi: **"Oh, don't play stupid! You're a Scarlet General! You never told me this when we last talked! You told me you were just a Cadet!"**

Artemus: **"Identity is everything I suppose, but you caught me"**

Umi: **"Then why the hell are you pinning me down?!"**

Artemus: **"Because I want answers"**

Matsushita5 and Artemus both exchange glances. Matsushita5 nods and slowly eases off of Umi. Umi at this point has stopped struggling and has allowed Artemus complete control.

Artemus: (To everyone else) **"I am going to need to bring the detainee with me. I have to have a conference between me, him, and Kaishine"**

Noda: **"Wait a minute! He's a damn prisoner! Are you kidding me?!"**

Artemus: **"This is a case involving S20. Please do not get in-between us"**

Noda steps forward one step, allowing his halberd to lead ahead of him. Artemus glares at him.

Noda: **"Are you serious? You're on our territory, punk. As far as I'm concerned, you're freeing a prisoner"**

Artemus: (Glaring; becoming annoyed) **"Do not test me, Noda"**

Noda grunts, becoming angry enough to shake his halberd and point it directly at Artemus. Matsushita5 points Noda's halberd away from Artemus.

Matsushita5: **"If this is something important to them, I think we should allow him to work it out. If it's a case involving their top leaders, then it's something we need to consider"**

Noda: **"Are you retarded or something?! Don't you understand?! He's releasing a-"**

Artemus: (Interrupts; yelling) **"He's a prisoner of Sinister, fool!"**

Everyone silences. Artemus has his fists balled up, glaring at Noda.

Artemus: **"He was one of us, but was taken prisoner"** (Pauses) **"If you want to take him, Noda, go ahead and pry him from me. I fucking dare you! But until you succeed into doing so, this individual is a part of a case that has yet to of been solved by S Twenty, and I'll be damned if I am going to let ANYBODY stop us from solving it!"**

Noda grits his teeth and grips his halberd with the strength of a two-ton vice. Artemus reads his emotion, suddenly allowing his sword to summon.

Artemus: (Murmuring) **"Stubborn bastard"**

Artemus and Noda both hold on a long standoff.

Noda: (Murmuring) **"Damn fool"**

Suddenly, the both quickly dash at each other, bearing their weapons ahead of their bodies, leading towards their opposition, both giving a loud battlecry. Suddenly, loud, twisting lights begin twirling around them. Light bends throughout the both of them. Suddenly, Artemus and Noda are knocked to their backs. Suddenly, a small, frail and small figure is visible in the spot in-between where Artemus and Noda encountered.

Matsushita5: **"Angel!"**

Suddenly, Angel falls to her knees, struggling to keep herself up. Her Hand Sonic blades dissipate into thin air. She falls over. Matsushita the Fifth quickly runs over to catch her.

Matsushita5: (Catching Angel before she hits the ground) **"Geez... What the hell was that attack?"**

Artemus and Noda regains their senses. Yui suddenly runs into the area with a worried look on her face.

Yui: **"Oh no! Angel is still trying to recover!"**

Everyone looks again at her. Her entire torso is covered up with white bandages, covering her back, stomach, and breast. Scratches and shallow gashes were visible on her exposed shoulders and upper back with her dark red-stained skin.

Artemus: **"Oh no..."**

Artemus slowly gets up to his feet, allowing his weapon to dissipate into nothing. Both Artemus and Noda were practically unscathed by Angel's sudden attack.

Angel: (Monotonous; showing no pain, but is clearly fatigued) **"Why fight the people who fight for the same cause? If it takes me stepping into a fight that is between two of our own allies, then I will gladly do it. But just know that whenever the enemy does decide to strike, are you going to be prepared for the bombardment if we have the minimal amount of people to fight?"**

Angel slowly eases out of Matsushita the Fifth's grasp. She has trouble standing, but she continues on, back into her tent.

Angel: **"Do not worry about me. I will be fine"**

Yui follows her inside, holding her hands to her chin, slightly worried. Umi stepped forward, next to Artemus and began to speak in a raspy and middle-aged voice.

Umi: (Stepping forward next to Artemus) **"In the time of war, there is no time for bickering and slapfighting. Only destroying the enemy. Otherwise you are wasting your time here"** (Directing attention towards Artemus) **"Vice-General Artemus, correct?"**

Artemus: **"That is correct"**

Umi: **"Why do you allow your ego to be placed ahead of your objective?"**

Artemus: **"Has it?"**

Umi: **"Because he wasn't physically in-between you and I when you wanted to take me in for questioning though. The thought of him questioning you bothered you. The thought of him thinking he could defeat you wanted you to challenge him"**

Artemus doesn't budge, but only blinks and stares at Umi.

Umi: **"But you are still young. Keep guided with Romatsu, Vice-General"**

Artemus is slightly taken aback at how this individual knew Master Romatsu was still in this world, but doesn't say anything.

Umi: **"Now you said you had a few questions, right? I might have some answers. Shall we go on with it?"**

Moments pass, Yuri walks out of her tent on crutches, and her ankle bandaged up.

Yuri: **"Geez, this world sure doesn't recover your wounds as fast as that other place... God this hurts so much"**

Matsushita the Fifth, Noda, and GlDeMo members all sat in front of a small fire, all just silently waiting. Yuri looked in slight dismay at her depressed subordinates. She makes her way with her crutches towards them. She places them alongside a tree stump next to Hisako and carefully takes a seat on the grass. The awkward silence of the entire group paralyzes her with deep thought.

Yuri: **"What's wrong? You all look so depressed"**

Everyone just sort of looks around, trying not to make any eye contact. Noda keeps his angry gaze, trying to figure out the same thing.

Matsushita5: **"I think everyone is just exhausted. No one really got too much sleep. Even that hayride here was hard on everyone, so it might just be that we all miss home. We also didn't really gain too much progress with retreiving whatever it is you, Chaa, and that Kiero guy wanted"**

Yuri: **"Oh contraire to your beliefs, my fifth degree blackbelt friend..."**

Everyone perks their heads high, looking towards Yuri, who was grinning.

Irie: (Murmuring) **"I'm getting a little creeped out right now... What is she planning?"**

Sekine: **"Muyikichi... I have no clue"**

Yuri goes into her right abdomen pocket on her uniform and digs for something. She slowly pulls her hand out, revealing a decent-sized, grey rock. She held it up in front of her head for everyone to see. It had a slight, eerie aura to it, and shone in the sun that has barely risen.

Yuri: **"This is mostly depleted uranium"**

Takeyama: (Startled, backing up) **"Whoah! Are you high!? Get that thing away from us! I've told you how dangerous this was when you asked me about it!"**

Yuri: **"Then don't get near it. This though... This is exactly what we needed. And thank you for helping me verify its legitimacy, Takeyama"**

Sekine: **"Whoah... Impressive"** (Grinning, twiddling her fingers in front of her chin in an evil manner; murmuring to herself) **"Muyikichi is gonna flip shit when I get a hold of one of these-..."**

Irie: (Alarmed) **"WHAAAAT?!"**

Sekine: (Pretending she said nothing) **"Oh nothing!"**

Sekine smiles and puts her hands behind her back. As soon as Irie looks away, she goes back to her grin.

Yuri: **"This rock was dug up from that explosion. There were mines near here, so I guess that would explain why there are other baddies here..."**

Takeyama: **"Do you think maybe that Sinister has already developed what you are looking for?"**

Yuri: **"The Guild has some of the most highly-skilled craftsmen and women in this world. You'd think we'd know if there was anyone else better. Their technology seemed pretty up-do-date, but nothing over-extravigant"**

Noda: **"Umm... Except for the people able to pull weapons from out of nowhere?"**

Yuri: **"Shut up, you know what I mean!"**

Iwasawa: **"It really gets me how they're able to do that. It amazes me"**

Yuri: **"Skill and time. They've been here for up to like four times as long as we have... We've just begun to adapt to this world after two years. That or maybe they're just gifted"**

Noda: **"Not like it matters to you though, Yurippe. You have some of the best hand to hand skills here"**

Yuri sighs, almost tossing away the compliment from Noda. She puts the rock back into her pocket.

Takeyama: **"Aren't you worried about radiation damage?"**

Yuri: **"We're already dead. Why does it matter?"**

Takeyama shrugs.

Yuri: (To herself) **"I just hope this weapon is going to be the very thing that we need to fulfill this thing"**


	19. Chapter 19: Morning Ops

Chapter 19: Morning Ops

7:30 AM

Artemus: **"So you were the director of Operations?"**

Umi: **"Yes, I was, that is until our last mission ended up getting run into the ground and burning horribly"**

Tsukaro: **"I'm a historian for S-20 and yet I've heard very little of your last mission. I've heard your name only once, and personally knew one of your old cadets before you all left for that mission. I was a junior cadet at the time this mission occurred. Naturally, at that time I knew nothing of those high-end, special missions. I want to know though... What was the objective, what was the result, what happened to you and everyone else, and why?"**

Umi: **"I am willing to share everything that occurred that day. But I am hoping you all will take it as a warning rather than a challenge"** (Sighing) **"It was a clear morning. My battallion and myself had set out for a mission labelled "Operation: Dragonslayer". The objective was to investigate and destroy any and all Sinister activity within these mountains"**

Tsukaro: **"Why?"**

Umi: **"My Battallion was the strongest in these lands; the most powerful around... And these mountains were home to... A demon"**

Tsukaro: (Gasping in surprise) **"So it was true!"**

Artemus: **"Wait, a demon? I don't think I am understanding you. I've never even seen a demon"**

Umi closes his eyes and aims his head down at his lap in dismay.

Umi: **"I have not either, however I have experienced its terror. Simply being near it is an experience I hope to never experience in my time here... Merely being in its presence without seeing it is a terror in itself. Two thirds of my entire battallion went insane and shoved all of their ammo through their guns at something they thought they saw. As if they were seeing these weird hallucinations. It was truly a sight. I've never seen anything like it. Only the Cadets and junior-ranking soldiers experienced this odd case of dimentia. My three other officers watched with me as our entire group suffered. Eventually, as they were occuppied by their hallucinations, we were blitzed by an enemy unit of five people. One of which stood still, sending commands to his unit via telepathy. But the aura coming from the demon near us was so strong, I had trouble understanding what was happening. We were all shot and taken prisoner. I woke up separated from my unit. Everything after that was just... Hell"** (Sighs) **"And the worst part was we never even got to locate a so-called demon"**

Tsukaro: **"What did they do to you?"**

Umi: **"Slave work is all I did around the clock. They sapped me of my powers, so I was unable to fight back. I couldn't even absorb energy from any source whatsoever. It was truly hell. Even now, I have no abilities. It's been so long since I've used them... My spirit no longer knows how to even store spiritual energy..."**

Artemus: **"We thought when you attacked us that it was a ploy created by Sinister to get us to sit near that bomb and take us out. I actually have numerous questions about that... One, how did you escape if you were a prisoner? Two, why did you attack us? And three, what was that hologram we saw, and who all was there chasing you?"**

Umi: **"Okay... One, I think it all started when you guys got to this general area. They must have just found out about you guys but a few hours ago. Word got out that there were intruders near, so when everyone was scrambling, I took the opportunity to plan an escape. Me having experiences in military tactics from when I was alive, was able to take advantage of the situation and get away fairly easily. Two, I attacked you guys because I thought you were Sinister. I figured if you guys had me cornered that I might as well have attacked. I thought you guys were trying to surround me. And three, that was no hologram... That was Viceroy Glaive"**

Tsukaro: **"That motherf-...?!"**

Artemus: (Interrupting) **"I figured it was him... We all thought it was a hologram projector doing this"**

Umi: **"Yes, but no... I think he's able to project the shape of his body within a vicinity of his position. He must have known you all and myself were near. But then again, he probably used his projection abilities because he knew you all would have destroyed him"**

A short silence engulfs the entire tent. Artemus puts his fist on his chin, trying to think. Tsukaro notices him in deep thought.

Artemus: **"You said there was a guy in that group of five individuals who was leading those four other guys before your capture, right?"**

Umi: **"I've yet to even learn his name or anything about him... Sorry"**

Artemus: **"That's alright. That's not what I am getting at though... Could it be possible that maybe he was the demon?"**

Umi: **"That's absurd! He didn't do anything to even contribute to that one-sided battle..."**

Artemus: **"Except possibly making your men go insane with psychic dementia and suppressing your powers with overwhelming waves of energy. You yourself even said you could hear his telepathic voice being commanded to his unit. Maybe this individual was the demon"**

Umi: (Surprised) **"But... If he's a demon..."**

Tsukaro: **"Demons don't have to have horns and be giant and ugly creatures, General Umi..."**

Umi suddenly gives a surprised look, at how Tsukaro had just called him by his rank and last name.

Tsukaro: **"If I'm not mistaken, the title 'Demon' is given to those who have surpassed the laws of this world, and have powers beyond our comprehension, such as being able to manipulate masses with telepathy, such as your battallion, no offense..."**

Umi: **"I've misunderstood then..."**

Tsukaro: **"The past eight years, excluding your run-in, there's been virtually no demon activity... It's odd that you mention your group was taken out so seemingly easy"**

Umi: **"It was a nightmare, and to this day, I've yet to even know what became the rest of that entire battallion I led"**

Tsukaro: **"My personal guess is that since they weren't as strong as you, they were consumed with their malice and taken control of to do Sinister's bidding. Since you were a general, I take it you were Seraph status, correct?"**

Umi: **"Negative..."**

Artemus: (Smiling) **"Boy, it's been a while since I've heard that word... I thought they stopped using that terminology..."**

Umi: **"Unfortunately, I was not"**

Tsukaro: **"You do know what Seraph status is, righ-..."**

Umi: (Interrupts) **"I am aware of what it is... A title given to those of great power who seek justice and fight for the good of this world and the world of the living. But no... Though I achieved the rank of Vice-General and was granted access into the Three-Headed Beast, I've never had powers that compared to that of a Seraph... However Master Romatsu..."** (Stops himself) **"By the way, is he still-..."**

Artemus: **"Yepp... Still kicking ass"**

Umi: **"And considering that both of you hold the ranks of Vice-Generals, I am guessing that the actual leader of the Three-Headed Beast is still given to the prison warden?"**

Tsukaro: **"That is correct"**

Umi: **"Well, he is a Seraph as well I am presuming?"**

Tsukaro: **"Actually, no... He actually has no powers"**

Umi: (Shocked) **"Wow! Are you serious? How is that possible?"**

Artemus: **"I was a little confused about that, too"** (Chuckling)

Tsukaro: **"Because General Yunotashi...-"**

Umi: (Interrupting) **"Ishono?! Wait just a minute here! Are you telling me that THE General of Scarlet Twenty... THE prison warden... Is Ishono Yunotashi?!"**

Tsukaro: (Slightly startled by Umi's sudden outburst) **"I- I'm sorry... Are you surprised?"**

Umi: **"Well no shit! When I knew him, he was a Chieftain! A shitty one at that! You were right about him not having any powers! God only knew how he was able to obtain the rank of Chieftain back then! Now he's a General?! What the hell!"**

Tsukaro: **"Actually, him not having any spiritual abilities has given him an edge. In the years I've been in S-Twenty, he's been on countless solo missions. He's never failed once. Though he has no powers, it has helped him because he is unable to be detected. Sinister uses detection using their powers to detect our powers. Since he has no spirtual energy, he's been able to conduct stealth reconnaissance missions all by himself. I believe he was known as the Chainblade Scorpion. He is of course the most skilled close-arms combatant in all of S-Twenty history from what I have been told"**

Umi: (Smiling) **"Well I'll be damned... Who would have thought that he woulda gotten that high up! Can't say I'm not impressed"**

Artemus: **"Well... Considering that you managed to escape from these bastards, you wouldn't happen to know exactly where they are hiding out?"**

Umi: **"I might be able to retrace my steps, but to be honest, I wouldn't even bother going back there unless you had a Seraph or an entire army by your side"**

Artemus thought to himself. He began to form a few ideas in his head.

_Otonashi and Tachibana both have powerful abilities... Nakamura is also skilled in hand to hand combat, and so is Noda and Shiina. Otonashi's and Tachibana's powers are given to them by reality-alterations from a computer program. Could it still be detected? This may work... But I'd need to convince Nakamura to allow me to lead all of them into combat..."_

Artemus: **"I might have an idea"**

Tsukaro stares again at Artemus, who seemed to have already devised a plan in his head in a matter of seconds. Umi also looked at him with a questioned look, raising an eyebrow.

In another tent, Otonashi sits again next to Kanade's bed, where she rested, wide awake and sitting up.

Otonashi: **"I'm gone for like five minutes and you go out and exhaust yourself... Geez, I guess I have to keep an eye on you twenty-four-seven"**

Angel doesn't show much emotion. She looks ahead, past Otonashi's face.

Angel: **"Artemus would have destroyed Noda. If that fight would have continued, we would have had another casualty"**

Otonashi: (Sarcastic) **"I guess even a moron's help is still help regardless, but I'd wish that idiot would put aside his pride... But wait, you used your spinning wave attack thingy I heard! I thought that attack was extremely powerful"**

Angel: **"It can be"**

Otonashi: **"Geez, so if you would have exerted anymore than you did, it would have been lights out!"**

Angel: **"Not really. I recover very quickly. Pain doesn't really bother me too much"**

Otonashi: **"If only I could be THAT nonchalant when I am in pain"**

Angel: **"Pain is a feeling in your brain that tells you when to stop or when something is too much for your to handle. I do not like pain, however it keeps me from doing things I know I have to go through. My Passive Overdrive allows a much higher pain tolerance, so I'm able to function at a much higher expectation than what my body offers"**

Otonashi: (Acts on his statement as he says) **"So does it hurt when I pinch you?"**

Otonashi leans over putting his index finger and thumb together. He grabs skin from her shoulder and squeezes, smiling evily, not pinching hard, but enough for him to know it probably would be a little painful.

Angel: (Smiling, but staying monotonous) **"I never said I didn't feel pain. I'm just able to suppress it"**

Otonashi: **"But does it hurt?"** (Pinches harder)

Angel:** "Quite a bit actually..."**

Otonashi jerks back, returning his hands to himself.

Otonashi: (Feeling bad, surprised) **"Erm... Sorry!"**

Angel smiles.

Angel: **"It's fine. Pain doesn't really seem to bother me too much, but I still feel it"**

There is a small pause. The both of them sit back, just staring at each other.

Otonashi: (Pauses, trying to think of something else) **"So when do you think you'll get better?"**

Angel: **"I predict within the next ten to fifteen minutes I should be able to function properly"**

Otonashi: (Chuckling) **"You're speaking as if you're a robot"**

As Otonashi and Angel continue chatting, Artemus walks into the tent and looks directly at the couple. Otonashi realizes there was something on his mind.

Otonashi: **"Is there something you need, Artemus?"**

Artemus: **"It's a big favor... Is Tachibana able? Has she recovered yet?"**

Angel: **"I'm a little fatigued, but I will be fine"**

Otonashi: (Darting his attention to Angel quickly) **"But you just said you'd need like ten to fifteen minutes to recover!"**

Artemus: **"I need a massive favor from you both... And don't worry, Otonashi. She will have plenty of time to recover, that is if you guys would like this task..."**

Otonashi thinks for a moment. Angel suddenly sits up.

Angel: **"I'll do whatever it is you need, so long as it furthers the Battle Front's mission"**

Outside, Yuri walks herself with her crutches towards the work tent of Chaa and Kiero. She opens up the entrance flaps and announces herself as she enters. Inside is a large table and work benches full of old equipment and tools. Many weapon molds also lay on the ground in a neat stack, along with a small welding torch.

Yuri: **"Chaa, I'm coming in"**

Kiero: **"Why hello there, Yurippe!"**

Chaa: **"Whatcha need?"**

Yuri: (Grinning) **"Oh, it's not what I~ need..."**

Chaa and Kiero look at each other in confusion.

Yuri: **"I might have something you guys want"**

Yuri goes into her front abdomen pocket and digs for the half-fist-sized rock. She tosses it towards Chaa. With his reflexes, he catches it with his gloved right hand and observes it.

Chaa: **"Depleted Uranium?"**

Yuri: **"You did say you needed something slightly radioactive, right?"**

Chaa: **"This is beyond me... I figured our search would be much more strenuous. How the hell did you get this?"**

Yuri: **"I found it while I was running back to the campsight. I got shot in the ankle by a sniper and I ended up landing in front of it. I saw it and noticed its disposition to the surrounding nature. Takeyama also helped me verify it. It felt odd just looking at it, but I figured it might have been something interesting"**

Chaa: **"That's pretty smart, but how the hell did it get there?"**

Yuri: **"There were bombs planted all over that place. There must have been a uranium mine somewhere, and the bomb blasted the area. I know it's probably very light in concentration, but I figured it would do"**

Chaa: **"Yes, thank you. We've already started working on the project"**

Yuri: **"What is the ETA on it?"**

Chaa: **"We already figured out what we need. We just need to actually make the weapon itself. It should take about an hour"**

Yuri: **"An hour?! Wow, that's pretty surprising... I'll be honest, it's actually really impressive. I figured it would take days!"**

Chaa: **"The complicated part is done. We just need to actually create the weapon now"**

Yuri: **"If you don't mind me asking, and I know it's a big secret and all... What exactly is it?"**

Chaa: **"It's called Project Supernova"**

Yuri: **"Huh? As in an exploding star...?"**

Chaa: **"We've had one prototype before this, but it wasn't as stable as the one we are working on. The one in process of being made now should last a few big battles"**

Yuri: **"Just a few?"**

Chaa: **"This rock you gave me should give us an entire set of Supernovas"**

Yuri: **"What is this Supernova you're talking about?"**

Chaa: **"A very powerful weapon"**

Yuri: **"Well no shit... I get it already! It hurts whoever you use it against..."**

Chaa: **"It's in the shape of a longsword. The sword, when swung, literally slices the air, causing a 'bend' in reality. A reaction occurs in that small area, and it forces the air to fill in that spot almost immediately, causing a shockwave. It blasts everything in the area in front of you away. In other words, it's like a bomb in a single swing. It's also pretty sharp, too"**

Yuri: **"What would happen if I cut someone's skin?"**

Chaa: **"I'm not exactly sure. I've only been able to test this in open air. I'd imagine it would slice the air that is in the cut you would have just made, causing a furthered, and a more nasty wound"**

Yuri: **"Sounds yummy"**

Kiero gestures a slight nausiated look, covering his entire face.

Kiero: (Holding himself up) **"That's just... Nice?"**

Chaa: **"The first model I make will go directly to you, Yurippe"**

Yuri: **"Thanks, Chaa"**

As Yuri pushes away the tent flaps from her face, she is immediately greeted by a few frantic individuals.

Iwasawa: (Worried) **"Yuri! We have trouble! That guy in the black clothes and his girlfriend just left with Angel and Otonashi! They said they had to do something"**

Yuri suddenly glares outward, sensing a strange disturbance in her subordinate's voice. She dashes out past Iwasawa towards one of the other tents. She quickly pushes people out of her way to get to Artemus.

Yui: (Pushed along, slightly frustrated) **"Hey! What gives?!"**

Noda: (Pushed, not as annoyed) **"Whoah! Yurippe! Come on!"**

Yuri ignores their frustration and keeps running. She finally reaches the room she was looking for. She pushes away the fabric entrance of the tent and quickly makes her way inside.

Yuri: **"Artemus!"**

But as she called out his name, she noticed he was not there, and neither was Tsukaro, who should have been laying in her bed resting. Fujimaki and Ooyama both sat up from theirs, confused.

Fujimaki: **"Are we in... Like a med ward?"** (Rubbing his head) **"Man, that explosion killed my head..."**

Ooyama: **"Yurippe, are you okay?"**

Yuri looks around.

Yuri: (Frustrated) **"Dammit! Where's Artemus and Tsukaro?!"**

Ooyama and Fujimaki looked at each other, and then at Yuri.

Fujimaki: **"We uh... Just woke up"**

Ooyama: **"What's wrong?"**

Yuri: **"Get your crap together. Something is about to happen"**

Fujimaki: **"What?! Already?!"**

As yuri quickly exits the tent, both Ooyama and Fujimaki toss their covers to the side and jump out of their beds, reaching both for their weapons.

Yuri quickly reaches for her handheld radio, then talks into it, hoping to reach her comrades.

Yuri: (Into her radio) **"Otonashi, Kanade! Do you read?"**

No response is heard. She becomes infurated, yelling loudly into her radio, praying for a response.

Yuri: (Yelling into her radio) **"Otonashi, Kanade, Artemus, Tsukaro?! Do you guys read me?!"**

She pauses for a moment, looking at her radio, hoping they would answer. After some time, her eyes slam shut. She picks up her left foot and stomps harshly, yelling.

Yuri: **"Gah! Dammit! Where the hell are they?!"**

Suddenly, Yuri looks down at the foot she stomped with, quickly changing her demeanor (which could be seen in a humorous manner).

Yuri: (Calm) **"Oh, hey look my ankle healed... Cool"**

Yusa: (Through Yuri's radio) **"Yuri, they don't have their communication devices"**

Yuri: (Into her radio) **"Why the hell not?!"**

Yusa: (Stepping up to behind Yuri) **"I was informed by Otonashi in person that they are conducting a much-needed reconnaissance mission with Artemus, Tsukaro, and Umi"**

Yuri quickly steps back, startled by Yusa's odd and sudden appearance.

Yuri: (Angry; yelling) **"Don't do that!"**

Yusa: (Monotonous) **"I apologize if I've scared you"**

Yuri: **"What are you talking about a reconnaissance mission?"**

Yusa: **"Artemus, Umi, and Tsukaro apparently had this idea that they could get passed the enemy's defenses by hiding their powers. They said they needed to use Otonashi and Angel because their powers are dorment until commanded, they would not be detected. The couple gladly took the task. They had to drop their radios off though so they wouldn't be detected. The entire reason they were able to find everybody when they were out and about was because they have communication detecting technology. They're going in with only their guns and their dorment guard skills. Even Angel had to remove her Passive Overdrive to be able to go in without being detected"**

Yuri's eyes suddenly grow. Both her hands meet her face, and her heart suddenly began to slam in her chest.

Yuri: (Murmuring) **"Oh my god... They're going full into enemy territory... They're going to die..."**

Yusa: (Calming Yuri down; solemn tone) **"You should give them more credit than what you're giving. They're a very formidable group of people. They will be okay"**

Yuri: **"I just hope you're right..."**

A small distance away, Tsukaro and Artemus both walk a path alone, just chatting. An ominous feeling surrounds their comfortable chatting.

Tsukaro: **"So why are we here again?"**

Artemus: **"Just taking a small walk. I've never actually been here, so I figure it would be good to do some sight-seeing while we're here"**

Tsukaro: **"Don't you think this place is even the slightest bit of creepy?"**

Artemus: **"Not like it matters. We can kick anyone's ass if they want to come fight us"**

They continue walking without a single worry in their world. Some distance away, a suspicious individual stands behind the trees, onlooking Artemus' and Tsukaro's locations from an elevated mountainside, speaking to himself in a low and ominous tone.

**_"So they are wandering in our lands. And here I figured they were just lost souls..."_**

Artemus: (Murmuring to Tsukaro) **"They're here..."**

Artemus and Tsukaro both stop, feeling a strong presence within their area.

Tsukaro: (To Artemus) **"Oh... Oh my god... It's powerful... I-..."**

Suddenly, a mysterious and deep voice calls out, echoing from an undetermined location.

**"Oh, it's only you two? I figured there'd be much more that that... After all, I am in the presence of two Vice Generals of the Scarlet Twenty Faction, right?"**

The strange and ominous man laughs. Both Artemus and Tsukaro draw their weapons from the voided sheathes they harbor. Artemus and his sharpened, steel katana; and Tsukaro with a scythe almost twice the height of her body, and a long blade protruding in a sharp crescent.

(Sarcastic) **"Oh dear... I feel as if I've gone and pissed you both off. I think I know just the perfect thing to fix this little ordeal"**

Artemus: (Smiling; speaking out loud) **"So you think you can dominate us that easily?"**

(Replying to Artemus) **"You may be right, my dear Wrenny-boy. The both of you, even for me is a meal I would probably be biting more than I'd be willing to chew, however apart you yourself would be an easy picking. For you see, Wrenny, you aren't even a Seraph"**

Artemus: **"And your point? I don't have to be a Seraph to know I can destroy you"**

Laughter is brought about from the evil voice. Artemus grins as a sudden rush of adrenaline infuses with the blood throughout his entire body.

**"You? Wrenny-boy thinks he can take on me?! A demon?! Oh dear, we do indeed have a badass, don't we? You will learn soon, my boy"**

Tsukaro: (Yelling) **"Just who do you think you are counting me out of the fight like that? What just because you have some personal agenda against Wren makes you think you can forget about me?!"**

The voice pauses.

**"Such arrogance... My dear Kaishine... I haven't the slightest clue why you haven't taken my ignorance towards you as a means of escape from this seemingly inevitable battle me and your friend Wrenny may be engaging in"**

Tsukaro: (To Artemus) **"Is this guy slow?"**

**"You see, my dear Kaishine...-"**

Tsukaro: **"You're not my freaking boyfriend. Don't call me 'my dear'. I don't even know you"**

**"My, my... Touchy this morning, aren't we? All jokes aside... You see, Kaishine, your friend Wren Artemus is powerful. I will admit this, yes... He is very powerful for an S20 Officer. However none can be said about your old geezer of a General Koyoru Umi. He was weak! Nothing compared to Wrenny. And Wrenny... You, my young friend... You are NOTHING compared to our dear Kaishine"**

Tsukaro became impatient and angry.

Tsukaro: **"What do you want with us?! Why are you even here?!"**

**"Do not deny me, Kaishine. All three of us know what you are capable of. Of course, with your abilities, you could change this entire world. We all also know your true image would not work out in favor of the Scarlet Twenty. Your powers are dark, wretched, and destructive"**

Tsukaro: **"You know nothing of my abilities!"**

**"Oh? We will all learn what you are fully capable of, my dear girl..."**

A silence engulfs the entire forest. Artemus and Tsukaro both step forward a couple of paces carefully. As Artemus turns around to check behind, he is quickly knocked to the side with a strong backhand by a man in a black, halfway-shirtless robe. Tsukaro is taken by surprise, quickly giving a side-sweep with her large weapon, meeting half-swing with a large, steel, double-headed hammer. Sparks fly in all directions, blinding them both. Tsukaro and the man jump back a few paces.

**"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sadao"**

Artemus quickly stands on his feet.

Artemus: **"Knocking me out isn't going to be an easy feat. You're going to have to try harder than that"**

Artemus and Tsukaro both dash at Sadao, bearing their weapons. A high-speed collisioned swordfight erupts. Steel slams into each other, Sadao quickly blocking each of their moves, despite wielding a heavy weapon. As Sadao quickly winds his arms back for a full on swing, Artemus quickly goes for a low blow to the legs. Sadao jumps over the blade and suddenly disappears, causing Artemus to miss his swing. Suddenly, a heavy drop smacks him directly on his back. Artemus suddenly coughs up blood, falling forwad, almost unable to breath. Tsukaro quickly turns around and begins hacking at Sadao. Sadao blocks all of her moves.

Tsukaro: **"Get up, Wren!"**

Artemus attempts to stand, almost unable to even move. Suddenly, Sadao disappears from Tsukaro's clutches, reappearing in front of Artemus, and grabbing him by his collar, bringing his face up inches from his own.

Sadao: (Speaking in a low, angry tone) **"How dare you both tresspass on our territory! I will rip every single piece of flesh from your pathetic body"**

As Sadao threatens Artemus face-to-face, his eyes begin to emit a dark glow.

Sadao: **"You were curious about my powers, weren't you? Well you're about to fine out full when what I can do to a pathetic, scrawny, little bitch like yourself!"**

Suddenly, a fast, orange-glowing bolt slammed directly into Sadao's left side. He drops Artemus, quickly tending to his painful wound with a sharp, protruding, stalagmite-looking object.

Sadao: (Yelling) **"What the hell is this?!"**

The bolt suddenly disappears from the wound, leaving a large, bloody, gaping hole in Sadao's left side, adjascent to his abdomen. He stands up.

Sadao: **"Tsukaro, my dear! I had no idea you were such a biter..."** (Chuckling)

Sadao walks over to Tsukaro. Artemus grabs onto Sadao's ankle as he walked. Sadao looked down and sneered at Artemus' fatigued body, stomping him in the same spot he was hit with the large hammer. Artemus coughs up blood as he gives out a loud and pained yell. Sadao laughs and continued towards Tsukaro. She held her ground, backing up and keeping her distance from the demon. She becomes slightly frightened by his scary approach. And in that sudden, blood manages to splatter on Tsukaro's face, startling her and causing her to look away for a moment to wipe her face quickly. As she recollects herself, she looks forward at Sadao, whose chest was impaled by the same sharp object that had hit his side earlier. His eyes were widened as he gasped for air. Suddenly, a short, white-haired girl jumps from the bushes behind and rushes the demon. He turns around and catches a short glimpse of Angel before she began swinging at him. As the bolt disappears from his bloody, gaping chest wound, he is impaled by a series of quick jabs and slashes by Angel's hand sonic attacks. As Sadao slowly turns, Angel quickly jumps behind him and continues her sharp barrage, and finally ending her series of violent strikes by meeting her blades, crossing them at Sadao's neck as he dropped to his knees.

Sadao: (Gasping for air, struggling to breathe) **"S...-So it... was you!"**

Angel stared into his eyes, unaffected by his angry gaze, almost as if she was ignoring his words. Angel shut her eyes slowly, adrenaline rushing through her veins, allowing her blades to slide across Sadao's neck like meat. Blood sprayed in opposite directions as she swung her arms open, slicing his windpipe open like a violent movie. He stays on his knees, still blinking, unable to even speak. Suddenly, from a distance, muzzle flash from a firearm is seen, a sudden pop is heard, and a rock is struck with a loud ping with a blood spatter. Two holes on opposite sides of Sadao's head cause him to fall into a deep comatose, followed by his body hitting the ground as if dead weight had just dropped. Angel recedes her hand sonic blades.

Angel: (Smiling) **"Our mission is complete, is it not?"**

From the side of Sadao's unconscious head, two holes bled along with the large gashes in his neck.

From a long distance, Otonashi and Umi give each other high-fives. Umi held onto a long sniper rifle with the words "Ooyama's Precious" etched onto the side of its receiver, below the handle of the bolt.

Otonashi: **"Yes! We got 'em!"**

Umi: **"Long-awaited revenge to that son of a bitch! I still got it! Who needs spirit abilities anyways!?"**

Otonashi: (Murmuring) **"Nicely done, guys!"**

As Artemus began to slowly gain to his feet, he twisted his body, cracking his back a couple of times, trying to ward off the extreme pain he had just endured.

Artemus: **"That... Fucking hurt... But I can't say it was the most pain I've ever endured in my life... Some 'demon' this guy was. I figured he'd be much more powerful"**

Tsukaro: **"That probably would have gone a little more smoothly. We could have probably avoided losing you temporarily. Luckily you didn't get K-O'd. We can't afford to lose you"**

Artemus: (Stretching, still feeling a lot of pain) **"Dammit... I think I need to see a chiropractor"** (Laughing)

Tsukaro: **"So what do we do with him?"**

Angel: **"No doubt he will wake up with a lot of energy"**

Artemus: **"We'd have to sap off his energy, like he did with General Umi"**

Tsukaro: **"He's... A demon... How the hell are we going to do that?"**

Artemus: **"I can think of two people who can do it"**

Artemus stares directly into Tsukaro's eyes with a serious look on his face.

Tsukaro: (Assuming what Artemus was thinking) **"OH HELL NO!"**

Artemus: **"You know it's the only possible way to keep him under control"**

Angel cocked her head to the left, confused as to what they were arguing about.

Angel: **"So why don't you just take his energy then?"**

Tsukaro: **"It's not like that, Kanade!"** (Sighs) **"When you take someone's energy like that, you gain not only their entire energy bank, but their abilities as well. Who knows what this bastard has! If Artemus or myself tried, who knows what could happen if we siphoned his abilities! We could become consumed by evil for all we know!"**

Two individuals suddenly slide down a small hill a small distance behind Angel. Otonashi and Umi both walk on scene, meeting up with the rest of the group.

Umi: **"Let me help... I know it's been forever since I've dealt with having spiritual abilities, but let me have a chance to regain myself"**

Tsukaro looks at Umi and Artemus in dismay.

Tsukaro: **"But... General Umi, you can't absorb energy... Remember? You even told us..."**

Umi: **"I can... But I need a medium... Someone who can channel it directly to me; force it into my spirit"**

Artemus puts his hand on his chin.

Artemus: **"That actually could work..."**

Otonashi scatches his head.

Otonashi: **"Shouldn't we talk about this somewhere else? We need to make our way back to the camp before we can continue with anything else"**

Artemus: **"He's right. Let's clean up and head back. We'll talk more later"**

Umi and Artemus both bound Sadao's arms and legs with a thick rope, knotting it to a point where they'd need a sharp weapon to free his appendages. As they both lift him and carry him off, the rest of the group walks off into the sunrise towards camp.

Angel: (Monotonous) **"I wonder what Yuri is going to say"**

Otonashi: (Just remembering about Yuri) **"Oh... Crap"**

Angel: **"I think we're hammered when we get back"**

Otonashi: **"Wait, hammered? We haven't been drinking though"**

Angel: **"You know... Hammered... As in we're in trouble?"**

Otonashi: (Giving an awkward look) **"Wait, you mean the word 'screwed'?"**

Angel: **"Oh... You're right... Yeah, we're screwed when we get back"**

Otonashi smacks his face with his hand, chuckling as they continued along.


	20. Chapter 20: Intermission in the Mission

Chapter 20: Intermission in the Mission

* * *

8:45 AM

Yuri looked at Otonashi and Angel in slight dismay.

Yuri: **"You guys... I just... I'm really trying hard not to be angry..."** (Pauses) **"I just wish that you would have told me about it"**

Artemus: **"We wanted to only involve those who were necessary to the mission"**

Yuri: **"You guys... are idiots"** (Pauses, sighing, almost unable to contain her anger) **"What if something were to happen?!"**

Angel: (Monotonous) **"But nothing happened except the success of the mission, and minor injuries sustained by Artemus"**

Yuri: **"But..."**

Artemus: **"The mission was to go on reconnaissance and to scope out whoever was leading this three-ring-circus. They know where we are, and no doubt what our current goals are, being here"**

Yuri: **"You guys could have gotten killed, or worse... Captured!"**

Artemus: **"But we didn't get killed... Or captured"**

Yuri places her index finger and thumb over her nostrils, trying to calm herself.

Yuri: **"Reckless! You had Kanade go out without her Overdrive!"**

Angel: **"Yuri, I am extremely flattered that you care that deeply about me and my safety, however I am able to hold myself in combat with or without my Overdrive passive. My overdrive only allows for extra speed, strength, and a much higher injury intake. My hand sonic abilities and fighting techniques are not affected by much"**

Yuri regains her sanity, trying to keep together what was left of it, attempting to put aside the events that had occurred less than an hour before. She looks up at Artemus.

Yuri: (Trying to put everything behind) **"Whatever..."**

Angel: **"Please, Yuri, understand that what's done is done... We've successfully completed our small operation... We're sorry if we've disappointed you, but..."**

Yuri: (Bitterly accepting the truth) **"Fine... Whatever..."** (Pauses) **"Now... Who is this Sadao guy, and what are you going to do with him?"**

Artemus: **"We're going to do what he did with General Umi. Tsukaro is going to act as a medium to siphon his energy and put it into General Umi. We just need to go ahead and start this before he wakes up"**

Yuri: **"When are you guys planning on doing this?"**

Artemus: **"General Umi and Tsukaro are preparing as we speak. It should be within the next half hour"**

Yuri: **"Is it safe to watch? I'd like to see this happen"**

Artemus: **"Yes, just keep your distance. Concentration is her priority"**

Yuri: **"Well since we have one of their big guys, I'll let everyone else know that they need to setup security around the perimeter"**

Artemus: **"Good idea, thank you, Nakamura"**

Yuri walks out of the tent, leaving Artemus and Angel inside. Otonashi and Hinata both stand in front of the dying campfire, filled with only embers and a small stream of white and shaded smoke.

Hinata: **"So you had a direct hit?! Wow, that's pretty good. I see you have a little bit of a sniper in ya!"**

Otonashi: (Smiling) **"Oh stop, it's not like that at all. All these shots I've been making have just been pretty lucky. I'm just learning how to use them is all. I still would like to have guard skills like yours over these war skills though"**

Hinata: **"Really? I don't know, man... I'd rather have something like yours over mine. I'd be seeing way more action. You should also be happy. And besides, you have skills that rival even that of Kanade's! Have you ever considered asking her to help you use your skills more effectively?"**

Otonashi: **"Actually, come to think of it, I've never even thought about asking for her advice"**

Hinata: **"Your Prismatic Bolts... You can shoot those, but until you shoot them, couldn't you also use them in hand-to-hand combat?"**

Otonashi: **"Damn..."**

Hinata: (Grins and shrugs his arms) **"You definitely aren't a good fighter if you're not able to even be resourceful with the powers you already have!"**

Otonashi: (Chuckling) **"Oh shut up, you!"**

Hinata and Otonashi laugh at each other. As Otonashi and Hinata both calm down, a voice is heard behind a small tent near them. Both are familiar voices.

Otonashi: (Trying to listen) **"Hey, you hear that?"**

Hinata: **"Yeah... It sounds a lot like Yusa... Oh, I wonder what she's up to this time"**

Both Otonashi and Hinata scale the small tent, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation they could barely hear from the fire.

Irie: (Timid) **"But why do you choose to tell me about this? Why don't you just let him know how you feel?"**

Yusa: (Monotonous) **"Because I'd rather my emotions stay shrouded in enigma. I feel it would be much easier to let someone know how I feel rather than to let the one I have this feeling for know"**

Irie: **"Yusa, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard... If you aren't telling him..."** (Hesitates)

Yusa: (Monotonous, but threatening) **"You'll what"**

Irie: **"I'll..."** (Becoming slightly nervous) **"I'll tell him myself!"**

A cold chill slid down Irie's spine as she stared into Yusa's eyes, unable to tell if she were angry, serious, or joking. Yusa blinked twice, giving a slight scare into Irie's timid mentality.

Yusa: **"Irie..."** (Pauses) **"Are you familiar with the girl who never spoke again?"**

Irie shivered and redirected her eyes away from Yusa.

Irie: **"N-...No"**

Yusa: **"It's about a girl named Miyuki who ends up finding herself in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, wondering what happened the night before. It doesn't really have a good ending"**

Irie: **"Shut up! Y-... You can't scare me! Shiori does that on a regular basis!"**

Yusa: **"Who do you think she learns all her stories from?"**

Irie suddenly catches drift of whay Yusa was telling her, slightly disappointed in her lack of ability to convince her.

Yusa: **"If you tell him-..."**

Otonashi: (Interrupts) **"You're definitely something, Yusa. I'll give it to ya though, you're pretty convincing when you threaten other people"**

Yusa suddenly gasps, and her head turns a multitude of red shades. She jumps back slightly, almost unable to keep her monotonous bearing, catching an eyeful of two older boys, towering above her, chuckling [Yeah I know how it sounds, and I know what you're thinking].

Yusa: (Slightly worried; stuttering) **"W-... What d-did you hear?"**

Hinata: (Chuckling) **"Who would have thought a slightly scary girl like her would have a crush..."**

Otonashi: (Sympathetic) **"Yusa, that feeling inside that you have... That feeling you get when you like someone... It's because you want to show this person how you feel. You should let this person know though, otherwise you'll never get over it"**

Yusa slowly lowers her head into her hands, eyes twinkling in happiness. Otonashi and Hinata both look at each other, taking their view from Yusa. Their eyes widen in surprise.

"_Oh my god! Could she actually be smiling?!"_

Otonashi: (Chuckling) **"Is that a smile I see?"**

Yusa: (Trying to hide her face in her hands) **"N-No... What are you talking about?"**

Hinata: **"Seriously, Yusa... Let him know how you feel... Whoever this guy might be..."**

Yusa: (Regaining her bearing quickly) **"I would appreciate it if you all would leave me with my breathing space"**

Irie: **"Please, Yusa... Be reasonable... Let us at least tell him"**

Yusa's cheeks turn pink, her eyes begin to shine slightly as she looked up at Otonashi and Hinata, and then towards Irie.

Yusa: **"But... I've never actually..."**

Hinata: (Smiling) **"Don't worry so much, Yusa. You're pretty cute, so any guy who turns you down is way too dumb to see. And besides, you're smart as hell! I don't see why any guy wouldn't feel the same way you feel about them!"**

Yusa: (Puts one hand on her cheek, smiling, blushing) **"I-I'm flattered that you'd say that... Yui I'm sure is very lucky to have been coupled with you as well, Hinata. No one has ever told me this before... Not even him..."**

Otonashi: (Raising an eyebrow) **"So who is it?"**

Yusa puts her hands to her mouth, her face again turning light shades of red. She lowers her eyes slightly, then shutting them tightly together. Otonashi puts his hands together, bending over, putting a hand on Yusa's shoulder. He speaks in a sincere and soft voice. She locks eyes with him, knowing what he was going to say something that could possibly change the course of her thoughts.

Otonashi: (Soft-voiced; sincere) **"Come on, we'll help you out. Let us do you this favor, because in all honesty, this is something you don't ever want to pass up. Not ever..."** (Pausing, taking hand off Yusa's shoulder, standing up straight))** "The time I've spent in that afterlife, thinking I'd never ever see Kanade again..."** (Becoming slightly meloncholy) **"...was probably the worst feeling I had ever felt in my entire life... Knowing she was a world away, thinking I had no possible way of ever seeing her again, but..."** (Smiling)** "As soon as I managed to come here, literally by a divine miracle... She was the only thing on my mind. That day when me, you, Shiina, and Noda went to that house to setup a rescue mission... Nothing in this realm could have stopping me from seeing Kanade's face. Nothing at all... And now... I never want to let her go. I won't EVER let her go..."** (Pauses) **"And so, you need to ask yourself one question, Yusa..."** (Pauses and smiles) **"... are you willing to tell this person the truth, to not only bring yourself to light, but to also save yourself the pain of not knowing what could have been? The truth, as cliche as it sounds, will set you free"**

Hinata: **"Regardless if this person might reject you, it won't matter. Because at least you will have finally learned the truth you have been searching for yourself. All in all, that's what it's all about when it comes to love. Truth... If it's worth learning the truth, then go and seek it... Don't ever hesitate, because regardless of the chance this person would have said no, knowing that you had THAT opportunity to say something... It will haunt you for the rest of your life"**

Yusa begins losing feeling in her lower legs, dropping to her knees, keeping a straight face. Not a smile, nor a frown. Her eyes began to glisten. Otonashi, Hinata, and Irie suddenly drop next to her, grasping her arm, worried if she had blacked out.

Irie: (Gasping) **"Yusa! Are you okay?!"**

Yusa looks up, no sign of emotion emitting from her face. And suddenly, a tear began to trail quickly from the far corner of her right eye, trailing past her cheek and dripping from her chin. She took her hand and slowly brought it to her face, placing her hand on the trail. Otonashi, Hinata, and Irie were concerned, thinking she had lost herself or had suddenly grown ill.

Otonashi: (Worried) **"Yusa..."**

Yusa: (Monotonous) **"I'm crying... Don't worry, I will be fine"**

Otonashi and Hinata were slightly creeped out by her nonchalant way of answering, despite her tears and sudden loss of feeling in her legs. Irie becomes especially excited and suddenly hugs her.

Irie: (Smiling greatly) **"Oh my gosh! You're actually in love! I'm so happy for you!"**

Yusa: (Monotonous) **"I will be forced to kill you if you continue to show any type of physical affection towards me or my feelings, which at this point I'd wish would stay shrouded in the enigma called my mind"**

Irie suddenly backs up, crying in a humorous manner, slightly crushed by her dry threat. Hinata chuckles loudly.

Otonashi: (Standing up straight, putting his hands on his hips, becoming slightly frustrated) **"Yusa! Stop it! She's trying to be a friend to you!"**

Yusa: (Looking down in slight disappointment) **"I apologize... I've never felt this way before"**

As Otonashi and the other two stand, he lends out a hand to Yusa, hoping she'd accept his help to get her back on her two feet.

Otonashi: (Smiling) **"Let's go find your man, okay?"**

Yusa's face, once again, blushes. She looks down to her right in dismay, then back up at his hand. Otonashi leaves it in front of her, still hoping for her to accept it. With much hesitation, she finally reaches forward slowly, clasping her hand into his. Otonashi pulls her up with some minimal amount of strength it takes to help a 35 to 45 kilogram girl to her feet.

Yusa: **"Okay... But..."**

Hinata: **"But what...? Don't you want us to help you?"**

Yusa: **"You've all helped enough, and I thank you all for that. But I think this is something I need to take care of myself"**

Yusa slowly begins to walk away. Otonashi and Hinata both allow her to go, keeping a close eye on what she would do next. They look at Irie. She smiles and rubs the back of her head.

Irie: (Assuming what they'd ask next) **"Sorry, I'm sworn to secrecy..."**

Hinata: **"Come on, Irie... Please?"**

Otonashi: **"It's okay, Hideki... I'd rather not have her lose the trust of her friend just because of our curiosity"**

Hinata: (Submitting) **"Fine, fine... I guess we'll find out later then... IF she even goes through with it..."**

Otonashi, Hinata, and Irie all move away, towards what was left of the campfire and sit, watching Yusa walk slowly towards her next destination. As they began to get comfortable around the slightly warm embers, the rest of GlDeMo: Sekine, Yui, Iwasawa, and Hisako, all sit down, hoping to relax as well.

Iwasawa: **"I heard a small bit of a pow-wow earlier. Is everything alright?"**

Otonashi: **"Everything's fine... Yusa just had a small problem and we kind of wanted to bring it to light with her a little bit. It's nothing big though"**

Sekine: **"Oh, you mean that huge crush she's had on Ayato this entire time?"**

Otonashi and Hinata both stand up in shock, gasping, pointing at Sekine. Irie suddenly burries her head into her hands, her hair draping over her face. Sekine realizes her mistake, nonchalantly trying to pass it off.

Sekine: **"Oops... I wasn't supposed to say that, was I?"**

Otonashi and Hinata try containing themselves, almost unable to bear the secret that's smacked them straight in their face. Irie stands in front of them, waving her hands in front of their faces, hoping to calm them down. They both sit down, regaining their sanity.

Hinata: **"I can't believe it..."**

Otonashi: **"Naoi? Who would have thought..."**

Iwasawa: **"I'm guessing she has a crush on him? That's so cute"**

Hisako: **"Meh... I never really was interested in having any love interests, even when I was alive..."**

Hinata: (Murmuring to himself) **"I always thought you weren't even into guys in the first place..."**

Hisako: (Catching an ear of what Hinata said) **"What was that?! Are you calling me gay?!"**

Hinata fans a hand at her, rubbing his other hand on the back of his neck, hoping Hisako would calm herself down.

Hinata: **"No! I didn't..."**

Hisako: **"Oh, I totally heard you, you ass! I'll have you know, I don't roll like that! In fact, I love guys! Guys are my life! I love men, and that's the truth!"**

An awkward silence falls over the group sitting around the campfire like heavy curtains. Hisako realizes the awkwardness of her statement, attempting to retract it immediately.

Hisako: **"No! That's not what I meant! I'm not a whore or anything! I meant I'm just..."**

Iwasawa: **"Come to think of it, when we first met, you were all over me quite a bit"**

Hisako: (Pleading herself) **"Masami! That's not how it was at all!"**

Otonashi and Hinata both look at each other, exchanging awkward looks, shrugging their shoulders.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hey, peoples! Figured I'd put a note down here instead this time! I know what you're thinking... "Where's the cool fights?!"

Don't worry, there's more of it to come! I wanted to go ahead and put a small cushion in-between Chapters 19 and 21 to kind of lighten the mood slightly. After all, there must be a little bit of rest, even for those who are already dead, right? And besides, even Yusa needs some love, too! :(

Even in the show, I find her quite adorable to say the least. And I figure her and Ayato Naoi would be a perfect match. And again, I know what you are thinking... "I saw that coming!"

I don't think I was very vague when it came to the relationship that seemed to be forming between Naoi and Yusa.

BUT don't assume anything just yet. This IS NOT a spoiler alert, however I will say, do not think that Yusa may have a 100% shot. Or that she may admit her feelings even... Who knows? I think I'll leave that up for you guys to guess ;) !

Also, I apologize for the briefness of this chapter! As short of a chapter it was, I wanted to dedicate this one to all of the single hearts out there! I wish you all luck with your dream boys and your dream girls, whoever they may be! Who knows? Your dream boy or dream girl may even be closer than you think ;) ! And just remember that regardless of the outcome, don't ever let it effect who you are! I may sound really corny right about now, but there's always someone for all of us! If you ever feel down on your luck, just pick yourself back up and press forward! Don't ever let yourself feel bad.

Thank you guys for reading my FanFic so far! It's truly been such an honor that you guys (at least many of you) have enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your support! More to come!

**_"Get chance and luck!"_** -TK

-Parahdoks


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